Tuesday, July 08, 2014

Passwords Become Pass Words in a Digital World


Some experts who focused on electronic device security have devised an application to mark the position of the shadows of the password a user tapped onto a smart phone or a tablet PC. They then can use the application's built-in algorithms to translate the shadows into concrete area keys, and successfully log in the device system. Researchers have carried out experiments on Apple iPad, Google Nexus 7 and the iPhone 5. No single device has escaped.

Xinwen Fu, a Computer Science Professor in University of Massachusetts, said the password-cracking application is compatible with many devices, including Google glasses, mobile phones with video-capturing function, and laptops with built-in cameras. Moreover, the application can crack passwords within 140 feet distance. Even if you may be cautious when someone approaches you with cameras recording you when you tap in your password, wearable devices, such as Google glass, make people vulnerable to resist this kind of password theft.

The most important factor of successfully cracking the password relies on the shooting angle. As long as your fingers can be video-taped, you are facing the risk of revealing your password.

CNN has conducted a similar test in its café. Sitting at a distance of 8.5 feet away from the iPad, the security researcher wearing Google glasses was able to correctly identify the login password when he captured the user's login process for three times.


Interestingly, this research result will be demonstrated on Black Hat Security Conference this year soon in Las Vegas.


http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/07/technology/security/google-glass-password-hack/

https://www.blackhat.com/us-14/


No comments: