News Thermal Cameras and Machine Learning Combine to Snoop Out Passwords

[Admin]

Thermal cameras and AI can snoop out user passwords quite a long time after they have left the input device behind them, but there are mitigations that can be made.

Thermal Cameras and Machine Learning Combine to Snoop Out Passwords : Read more

 

[georgebaker437]

It would seem that warming the keypad to 37 degrees would instantly eliminate this problem. The waste of energy would be negligible when compared to the economic and legal costs of a security breach.

 

[Deleted member 1353997]

It would seem that warming the keypad to 37 degrees would instantly eliminate this problem. The waste of energy would be negligible when compared to the economic and legal costs of a security breach.

Why waste all that energy when there are already quite a few superior alternatives, such as using a password manager or going passwordless?

 

[Gam3r01]

This really only seems applicable when you *only* enter the password.
Most people arent going to cold start typing on a keyboard, enter exactly their password, then leave. You are going to typically have many other inputs either immediately after or before (I mash random keys to get windows to open the login page at boot, for example). Anything with a touch screen would also be mitigated by using a software that rotates the number combos every time.

 

[drtweak]

Ha i remember having to use the Thermal Goggles in the first Splinter Cell lol

 

[bit_user]

This really only seems applicable when you *only* enter the password.

I mostly agree, but if you enter your password and then initially go for the mouse, there's a gap where someone could sneak a picture over your shoulder or from the side. This could be a relevant attack vector for cafe's and other public situations - even if you're using your own laptop!

 

[USAFRet]

I mostly agree, but if you enter your password and then initially go for the mouse, there's a gap where someone could sneak a picture over your shoulder or from the side. This could be a relevant attack vector for cafe's and other public situations - even if you're using your own laptop!

If they're close enough to do that, they're close enough to do a 3 second surreptitious video of your fingers.

 

[bit_user]

If they're close enough to do that, they're close enough to do a 3 second surreptitious video of your fingers.

True, but whereas it could be hard to work out which keys you're hitting from a shaky video, one (relatively) clear thermal snapshot could (possibly in combination with the video) give a much clearer result.

 

[USAFRet]

True, but whereas it could be hard to work out which keys you're hitting from a shaky video, one (relatively) clear thermal snapshot could (possibly in combination with the video) give a much clearer result.

I don't know about you, but I can take a really clear stable video of you at an adjacent Starbucks table.

Later, at home, I can replay in whatever slomo I want.

Tomorrow, when you come in for your daily java and Team chat....I steal your laptop.

Then, revel in the plethora of crazy cat videos you have...


Don't get me wrong....this is an interesting concept.
But I'm not too worried about it.