androidiosmobilebiometricsface-id

How do apps properly validate Face-id or biometrics before important actions on the backend?


I have a theoretical question, how is a mobile app supposed to handle Face-id or biometrics being required before certain task.

Let's say a banking app asks for Face ID on iPhone before making a transaction. How is the backend supposed to validate it? What is the backend supposed to get? Some sort of token? Can you provide me with any implementation guidelines on that?

Update: I get that the backend does not validate it. But what is the security standard in that case, reauthenticate the user?


Solution

  • AUTHENTICATION

    You could take a look at passkeys and the WebAuthn standard, where:

    API ACCESS

    Although a digital signature proves that the user authenticated, it can be useful if, after authentication, the app can also get an API credential for a high privilege business area.

    Eg a banking app using OAuth 2.0 might operate like this:

    SUMMARY

    So there are a couple of backend concerns that you might separate: