In the torrent of the billions of words already written about Touch ID very, very few people have really understood just how revolutionary this really is. Apple not only has developed one of the most accurate mass produced biometric security devices, they have also solved critical problems with how the data from this device will be encrypted, stored and secured. Apple Calls this the Secure Enclave and it is a relatively new concept.
Intriguing article. You should read the whole thing. Apple really oversimplified the Secure Enclave in their quick discussion of Touch ID in the keynote. I feel like there would be less argument over the (nonexistent) dangers of storing your fingerprints with Touch ID if Apple had gone into just a little bit more detail on just how complex and solid the security measures are. For instance, I was unaware that if your phone restarts or isn't unlocked for 48 hours you must mandatorily enter a full pass code to unlock it, preventing hackers from having long amounts of time to try to crack the Touch ID security measures.
It's also good to know (at least if the author truly knows what he's talking about, and he certainly seems to) that Apple plans to open up Touch ID APIs for third party developers to make use of. There's some seriously cool stuff on the horizon. I can't wait to see where this goes.
