Why fingerprints make handy -- but not foolproof -- digital keys

SAN FRANCISCO – It sounds like a great idea: Instead of passwords, lock your phone or computer with your fingerprint. But this convenient form of security may not be as safe as you might think. In their rush to do away with the problem of passwords, Apple, Microsoft and other tech companies are nudging consumers to use their fingerprints, face and eyes as digital keys. Smartphones and other devices increasingly feature scanners that can verify your identity via these biometric signatures in order to unlock a gadget, sign into web accounts and authorize electronic payments. Hackers could still steal the digital representation of your fingerprint.