Android unlock patterns might be eroticism of pure love 1fun to use, but they're not that secure.
A recent study from the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County revealed that it's incredibly easy to figure out someone's passcode pattern just by peeking over their shoulder ("shoulder surfing") while they enter it.
The researchers recruited almost two thousand subjects to watch over-the-shoulder videos of pattern and PIN unlocking, and attempt to reproduce each.
The researchers found that attackers were able to successfully enter another user's phone after just one observation in a whopping 64.2 percent of cases when using a pattern. PINs weren't foolproof, but were still safer, with a single observation only 10.8 percent likely to lead to a successful attack.
The study examined unlock patterns in the Nexus 5 and the OnePlus One. It also found that smaller phones and--surprise!--longer unlock patterns are less susceptible to over-the-shoulder surveillance.
SEE ALSO: The internet thinks Arya Stark could bust iPhone's Face ID wide openThe findings were published in a paper called Towards Baselines for Shoulder Surfing on Mobile Authentication, written for the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference, which will take place in early December.
The study, while the first to compare shoulder surfing of PIN vs. Android unlock patterns, is not the first to measure the efficacy of both methods. Researchers found earlier this year that hackers can use incredibly effective computer vision software to capture your pattern. And in 2010, Penn State researchers found that a pattern code can be identified from smudges on screens 68 percent of the time.
All this research backs the idea that a PIN is the way to go
"These results support what we as a community have believed to be true anecdotally, and further demonstrates that current authentication methods provide stronger security against shoulder surfing than one might expect."
The study's primary conclusion is clear: skip the pattern, set a passcode. If you're wed to your pattern, there are a few other things you can do to reduce shoulder-surfing risk.
First, eliminate "feedback lines," the colored lines that illuminate your finger's path through the pattern. These lines make it easier for shoulder surfers to make out your pattern. With user's feedback lines removed, hackers were only able to access the phone around 35 percent of the time. You can do this in your Settings.
Second, make sure to set a six-digit pattern, which is obviously harder to crack than a four-digit pattern.
These changes will take a few minutes of your life, but your phone's data may thank you later.
Topics Android Cybersecurity
Previous:$800 off an LG TV at Best Buy
Toddler scares the crap out of her mom in the most innocent way possible'The Simpsons' show runner still won't apologize for ApuThe 9 best Samsung Galaxy S9 cases for every situationThe 9 best Samsung Galaxy S9 cases for every situationZuckerberg says Facebook won't comply with ICE's 'extreme vetting'Uber Rent carUber rolls out new features for biking, carGoogle to release 'major' Gmail updatesToddler scares the crap out of her mom in the most innocent way possibleA first look at 'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' mobile gameNo girl's period should force her to miss school, and this startup is making sure of thatCardi B has already won Coachella, according to GoogleThe best iPhone 8 casesReddit and Pornhub hosted RussianUber Rent carMarshall Islands back historic IMO deal to slash shipping emissionsZuckerberg says Facebook won't comply with ICE's 'extreme vetting'Box that unlocks iPhones is the hottest new gadget for policeMountains, craters on Pluto's largest moon now honor sciChinese police use facial recognition to catch suspect in a huge crowd There will probably be an 'Overwatch' winter event 'No Man's Sky' developer breaks long silence with update news 16 incredible gifts that give back this holiday season Ron Glass, 'Barney Miller' and 'Firefly' actor, dies at 71 Political satirist arrested again for criticising the Malaysian government 13 hauntingly beautiful photos of Tokyo in the snow 'Australia Day' celebrations moved in one city, sparking debate on the date Donald Trump's Christmas ornament made Amazon reviews great again This cop cannot help busting some sick moves when the beat drops at a festival Social media captures Miami celebrating after Fidel Castro's death 'Gilmore Girls': Taylor Swift songs are all about Dean, Jess and Logan Syrian girl thanks J.K. Rowling for her 'Harry Potter' books UK women rally to support Planned Parenthood in a post Ivanka Trump separates her Twitter account from her brand, and she gets to keep all the followers 30 holiday cards for family members with a sense of humor How to survive 4 Thanksgivings, as taught by 'Gilmore Girls' The internet thinks this Pekingese was robbed at the National Dog Show Good guy Prince Harry releases five baby turtles into the sea Grandma's wrong number Thanksgiving invitation ends in the best way possible That fake CNN porn story was planted by an alleged Russian troll (Updated)
3.2196s , 10196.6171875 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【eroticism of pure love 1】,Charm Information Network