Forget losing personal data, Apple's iPhone 5S could cost you your FINGERS: Security expert warns thieves could go to extreme lengths to bypass the Touch ID

Apple's iPhone 5S has a fingerprint scanner built into the 'home' button

The Touch ID feature lets users unlock their device and buy apps securely

Security expert claims the technology could cause a rise in crime and theft



Thieves could physically force someone to unlock their device or even cut off their fingers

However, Apple's scanner has a 'capacitive' sensor meaning only fingers with a recognisable pulse can be used



Many security experts have already voiced concerns that fingerprint scanners, such as the one in Apple's new iPhone 5S, are flawed and not as secure as their makers claim.



Now one leading security researcher has taken this a step further suggesting the technology could actually lead to an increase in crime, with the robberies potentially becoming more brutal.



Marc Rogers from San Francisco-based firm Lookout said: 'Fingerprints are not fool-proof and can be duplicated and as the usage of this technology increases, we can expect that duplication technology will improve as well.



'Thieves in some regions have worked out that you can force a victim to unlock a secured device,' and in extreme cases this brutality could lead to fingers being cut off.

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Apple said the Touch ID fingerprint sensor is designed to provide 'accurate readings from any angle

The Touch ID sensor is built into the premium phone's 'home' button and can be used to unlock the phone, as well as pay for shopping and apps automatically.

Speaking at the launch event in Cupertino, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller reassured users that Touch ID is secure by explaining that 'all fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely inside the device's chip' adding the prints are not stored on an Apple server, or backed up to iCloud.



Yet Rogers claims it shouldn't be used on its own.



'Unlocking a device with a fingerprint, if done right, can be much more convenient than entering a pin code multiple times a day.'

'So many users fail to enable [PINs] altogether and in this case, fingerprint scanning is better than nothing at all, but it provides little added security over a four-digit code.

'And because fingerprints can be lifted and duplicated, they should not be used as the sole credential in a high security scenario unless enhanced through the use of a PIN code or other secondary factor of authentication.'

Apple announced that its iPhone 5S, pictured, has a fingerprint scanner built into the 'home' button. Apple has stated that the Touch ID sensor is 'capacitive' which means that it will only work with live fingers that have a recognisable pulse

HOW DOES TOUCH ID WORK? Touch ID uses a small touch sensor encased around the home button that scans the layers of skin on a finger.

Users can 'train' their iPhone to read and learn their unique fingerprint and when they touch the home button, the phone is unlocked.

Touch ID can also be replace an App Store password when buying music, apps or books.

It uses a 'laser cut sapphire crystal' to take a high-resolution image scan before the Touch ID software in iOS 7 detemines whether the print belongs to the owner or not.

All fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely inside the device's chip. The prints are not stored on an Apple server, or backed up to iCloud.



Apple has also stated that the Touch ID sensor is 'capacitive' which means that it will only work with live fingers that have a recognisable pulse.



Paul Ducklin from Sophos Security agreed : 'Fingerprints are not secret: we leave copies of them wherever we go. Once someone devious has got hold of a copy, sensors can be fooled.'

He continues that, unlike passwords, if fingerprint information is stolen it can't be changed 'short of getting medieval on your hands with acid, sandpaper or some other hardened-gangster technique.'



Fingerprint authentication has become common in high-end laptops from companies such as Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba. Motorola also added a fingerprint scanner to its Atrix handset.



Apple unveiled the fingerprint scanner on its iPhone 5S on Tuesday with bold claims about its high levels of encryption and security.



The firm even suggested that its Touch ID system could revolutionise smartphone security and replace the traditional, everyday password.



Apple's shares fell more than 5 per cent on Wednesday, following the launch of its new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.



The share price ended at a one-month low of $467.24 at midday after at least three brokerages downgraded the stock.

It is thought that investors were put off by the price of the handsets, especially the so-called 'cheap' iPhone 5C which starts at £469, claiming they weren't low enough for Apple to attract new customers, especially in emerging markets such as China.



Analysts predicted that Apple would be looking to boost sales in emerging markets, such as China, and this was bolstered by the fact Apple held a mirror event in Beijing, and announced the iPhone 5S will also be made available in China at the same time as other countries for the first time ever.

Rivals including Samsung and Huawei do well in emerging economies because their handsets are cheaper to produce, so cost less.