It appears that it may not be as safe to use your fingerprints as a way to unlock your phone.
It takes only a photograph of a printed form, a special application and some relatively cheap
equipment to trick a fingerprint reader.
Chinese hackers say that in just 20 minutes they have developed a method to bypass biometric
safety. As Tom's Guide states, the Tencent Security X-Lab team showed that cloned virtual
fingerprints were made that were advanced enough to trick fingerprint scanners using images
of fingerprint onto the window.
At the 2019 GeekPwn Hacking Conference in Shanghai, the team gave a demonstration.
Team leader Chen Yu invited a member of the audience to touch a glass during the process
and photographed the resulting fingerprints.
The image was manipulated with the use of a specially-developed software and a digital version
was produced using unrevealed hardware. The identical process employed was not explained,
but some kind of specialized 3D printer is believed to have been employed. Three smartphones
and two other computers with fingerprint readers were effectively fooled by the technique.
As if it wasn't troubling enough to conquer biometrical protection, it gets worse. The security
breach can be carried out in just 20 minutes and is far from expensive. Speaking to Chinese
media, Yu revealed that hardware costing only $140 (about £ 110, AU$200) was needed,
meaning it's hardly limited to being used by large organizations or wealthy individuals.
Time to remember wiping any signs behind yourself you might leave, maybe... And simply
take it all the time to wear gloves! You could also consider switching to another security
device on your phone, like facial recognition or a really long PIN.
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