Your Phone Isn't That Secure It Can Be Hacked With Play-Doh

Chinese Start-up Reveals how to Unlock Apple iPhone with Play-Doh

A Chinese start-up had revealed how it can unlock an Apple iPhone through the fingerprint sensor utilising Play-Doh. Jason Chaikin, President of mobile security firm Vkansee had developed a mould of his fingerprint and then took the modelling clay Play-Doh pressed it on to the mould and created a duplicate. He then touched the Play-Doh on the fingerprint scanner of the iPhone and the device seemed to get unlocked. Chaikin did the demonstration to emphasize the lack of sophistication in the present day biometric solution and not just on iPhones but on the other devices as well.

Apple had not provided any official comments but pointed to the security sections of its website. The website stated that every fingerprint is unique and so it is rare that even a small section of two separate fingerprints are alike enough to register as a match for Touch ID. The possibility of this taking place is 1 in 50,000 for one enrolled finger’.Touch ID only enables five unsuccessful fingerprint match attempts prior to which one must enter the passcode and one cannot progress unless it has been provided.

Patented Fingerprint Sensor beneath Glass of the Phone

Chaikin showed the firm’s patented fingerprint sensor which is placed beneath the glass of a phone. Presently, manufacturers have to cut a hole in the device in order to put the sensor. He informed CNBC at the time of the interview at the Mobile World Congress – MWC in Barcelona recently, that the demand for under glass scanning which is resistant to hacking is the first thing which is heard from the device manufacturers.

The solution of Vkansee picks up third level details on an individual’s finger like the thickness of the ridges on the person’s finger or the pores of the skin. The product also enables fingers to be read when they seem to be wet that is presently an issue with such sensors. According to Chaikin, the issue at the moment is that the biometric seems to be too simple and he had named an example of 2014 wherein a hacker had managed to take a high resolution picture of German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen’s finger and engaged in reverse plot in unlocking her phone.

Eye Print another System of Authentication

Manufacturers are observing new biometric systems to validate users as consumers tend to use their mobile devices for various tasks comprising of banking and shopping and the eye print seems to be another system of authentication that can be done by utilising a smartphone’s front facing camera. The company, EyeVerify is one of the companies producing software which tends to recognize minute details in a person’s eye like the blood vessels.

The chief executive of the U.S Company, Toby Rush, had stated that the eyes’ features are stable. He had informed CNBC in a phone interview that they look at micro features just outside the eye and the strongest is the blood vessels in the eye. They tend to be stable and work really well. He added that fingerprints are great and not going anywhere, but fingers and eyes would win the day. Anyone in biometrics would agree that multiple options provide the best security in a strong manner and best user experience.