Iris scanner set to replace passwords

EyeLock Myris is a USB eye scanner that takes many scans of your eyes within 15 seconds while moving the camera toward the eyes from arm's length, then backing it away.

EyeLock Myris is a USB eye scanner that takes many scans of your eyes within 15 seconds while moving the camera toward the eyes from arm's length, then backing it away.

Published Jan 22, 2014

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London - Biometric experts at New York-based firm EyeLock have created a dongle fitted with an iris scanner.

The Myris device can register up to five different users.

Each user begins by scanning their eyes to take an image of their respective irises. These unique images are then translated into an encrypted code.

The scan takes between 10 and 20 seconds and the authentication code is created immediately.

Once registered, each user can add various online passwords to their Myris profile.

Next time the user visits one of these accounts, instead of entering a password they can scan their eyes for immediate and secure access.

According to EyeLock, the False Acceptance Rate of the average fingerprint sensor, in which the system is hacked by an unknown print, is one in every 10 000 scans. For iris scans, this increases to one in 2.25 trillion scans.

Myris is set to go on sale in the US before the middle of the year and will cost about $250 (R2 700), although an exact date and price is yet to be announced.

Iris scanning is more secure than fingerprint scanning, and the technology involved is cheaper, making it a more obvious choice to add to future smartphone models.

Iris scanning involves a simple charge-coupled device digital camera that uses visible and near-infrared light to take a clear, high-contrast image of a person’s iris.

When the camera takes the image, a scanner plots the centre of the pupil, edge of the pupil, edge of the iris, eyelids and eyelashes.

It then analyses the unique patterns in the iris and translates this pattern into a code. Next time the eye is scanned, this code is compared to the pattern to authenticate a match. – Daily Mail

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