FPC Makes Case for Smart Locks With Fingerprint Authentication

Fingerprint Cards (FPC) is making a pitch to smart lock manufacturers with a new blog post that highlights some of the benefits of fingerprint recognition in a smart home setting. In doing so, the company placed a particularly strong emphasis on front door security, arguing that biometric authentication can make people feel more comfortable about using a connected smart lock, which will in turn expand the potential audience for those solutions.

The problem, according to FPC, is that while smart locks are convenient, they also raise concerns about security. As it stands, many locks still rely on knowledge-based authenticators like PIN codes or passwords, both of which can be compromised if they get shared too widely.

Fingerprints, on the other hand, can deliver the same level of convenience while eliminating many of the more obvious risks. Many locks can store multiple fingerprints on a single device, so homeowners can grant access to trusted friends and family members knowing that those privileges cannot be shared with anyone that has not been approved. Those locks can then be paired with a mobile app that allows people to manage their own front doors remotely.

FPC noted that fingerprints have additional utility inside the house, since a smart lock can prevent children from getting into the medicine cabinet. Meanwhile, a larger student dorm can use fingerprints to ensure that only people with the proper permissions are able to gain access to certain parts of the building. Fingerprints are prohibitively difficult to spoof, making a fingerprint-backed smart lock a stronger security option than a traditional lock and key.

The post reflects FPC’s growing interest in the smart lock business. The company’s technology has been integrated into the Inosmart keypad from Inotherm, which can store as many as 100 prints. It has also appeared in smart locks from Kwikset, Kaadas, and Fueb Labs.

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April 19, 2021 – by Eric Weiss