Sleep is the biggest threat to iPhone 5S security

Apple claimed to have revolutionised phone security with a fingerprint scanner embedded into the home button of its iPhone 5S. But a hacking group in Germany has managed to compromise this technology, just two days after the phone was launched.

Most of us have a password on our phones and laptops for security and privacy issues.

The simple tapping of a word or number or both, give or take a few punctuation marks and capitalisations has served us well. But not well enough for Apple, who decided to take things a step further with the fingerprint scanner.

But ask yourself this, who are you protecting your data from? The random person on the street who steals or finds your phone? Or those you live with and work with? For most, it is their partners, wives and husbands, nosey siblings and gossiping friends.

If it is the former, a password poses a decent enough barrier to entry, if it is the latter, it is probably the same, depending on how obscure your password is. You can even shield your keypad away from prying eyes as you type those digits in.

Now, take the fingerprint scanner. Who is there to protect your fingers when you sleep? Who will stop your wife or husband from simply engaging your finger with the home button while you are knocked unconscious, dreaming away, playing out your fantasies on Games of Thrones? No one.

Technically, it is more secure. Since fingerprints are unique, only you can access the phone. But that all goes out the window when you're asleep.? Those who want access to your messages and photos don't need the sophistication of the German hackers, they just need to wait for nap time.

What is being touted as the latest in security technology is really not at all secure.

If this is something that concerns you, then perhaps it would be best to consult a marriage counsellor, there are clearly deeper, underlying issues in your relationship, but how many marriages and relationships have failed or been strained as a result of illicit exchanges on Facebook or SMS?

There is no use even trying to shun this technology, many other manufacturers are working on similar abilities, using various parts of our anatomy to gain access. This is the future and hackers (or partners) will always figure out a way in.