Recently, the WeChat official account of the Ministry of State Security published an article providing an in-depth analysis of the risks of information leakage and loss lurking behind the widespread application of biometric recognition technology. The article noted that the illegal collection and misuse of biometric data—such as fingerprints, facial features, and iris patterns—are emerging as new challenges to personal information security and national security. As the security of biometric data receives increasing attention, liveness detection technology offers a more reliable path to ensuring fingerprint recognition security. Promoting public awareness of fingerprint information security and the widespread adoption of liveness detection technology has become a shared responsibility of both the industry and the public.

As digitalization continues to advance, biometric recognition technologies—including fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scanning—have been widely adopted in daily life and critical national security sectors. However, as national security agencies have pointed out, the illegal acquisition or forgery of biometric data can lead to severe breaches of personal privacy, financial losses, and even national security risks. Fingerprints, as the “cornerstone” technology in identity verification, also face challenges of replication, theft, and misuse.

Against this backdrop, live fingerprint recognition technology has gradually entered the public eye and, due to its high anti-counterfeiting capabilities and security, has become one of the effective measures to address fingerprint data breaches.

What is live fingerprint recognition technology? Compared to traditional fingerprint recognition technology, it not only captures fingerprint patterns at the image level but also uses multi-dimensional sensing technologies (such as infrared optics, temperature, and humidity sensors) to determine whether the fingerprint comes from a live finger. This effectively defends against attacks such as fingerprint stencils and counterfeit fingerprints, eliminating the risk of information being copied or stolen at the source.

Why is live fingerprint recognition more secure?

Traditional fingerprint recognition systems rely on epidermal texture information. Once fingerprint data is stolen, attackers can easily bypass the system by creating replicas. In contrast, live recognition technology detects biological indicators such as blood flow, the structure of the subcutaneous dermis, and temperature changes to ensure that the subject being scanned is “living” human tissue, significantly enhancing the system’s anti-counterfeiting capabilities and data security.

As advocated by national security agencies, a “multi-factor authentication approach” should be promoted in core classified areas, and live fingerprint recognition is a concrete implementation of this concept—it not only verifies “what you possess,” but also confirms “whether you actually exist.”

As fingerprint recognition technology evolves toward greater security and reliability, domestic technology companies continue to explore and innovate.

Take the Xinquhang live fingerprint recognition product launched by Xinquhang Technology as an example. This product builds on the company’s proprietary fourth-generation glass-based fingerprint chip technology, which replaces traditional silicon substrates with glass substrates. By combining infrared optical live detection with proprietary algorithms, it can penetrate the dermis to recognize various complex fingerprints (such as dry, wet, or cracked ones) while simultaneously sensing temperature and humidity. This enables an ultra-thin, low-power design while effectively preventing spoofing attacks.

In addition, for scenarios such as immigration, border security checks, and household registration management—where data capture efficiency and accuracy are of the utmost importance—Xinqihang Technology has also launched the FAP60 Finger and Palm Scanner. Breaking away from traditional optical designs, this device utilizes glass-based technology to support simultaneous multi-finger capture (including four fingers on both hands, both thumbs, ten single-finger rolls, and palm prints). It reduces the capture time for four fingers to 0.25 seconds per scan. While ensuring data security, it significantly improves clearance and registration efficiency, setting a new technological benchmark for biometric data collection in public spaces.

As advised by national security authorities, citizens should exercise caution when providing their biometric information and adhere to the principle of “minimum necessity.” At the same time, all sectors of society are urged to pay close attention to the mechanisms governing the storage, processing, and protection of biometric data.

The maturation and widespread adoption of live fingerprint recognition technology have provided us with a more secure and reliable technical solution. From unlocking personal smartphones and smart access control systems to border security checks and financial payments, the promotion of fingerprint recognition devices equipped with live detection capabilities will help curb data breaches at their source and strengthen identity security defenses in the digital age.

Technology should serve people and protect them.