Hackers are able to decipher PINs and passwords just from the way we tilt our phone when we are typing in the information.
Cyber experts at Newcastle University, UK, have revealed the ease with which malicious websites, as well as installed apps, can spy on us using just the information from the motion
sensors in our mobile phones.
Analysing the movement of the device as we type in information, they have shown it is
possible to crack four-digit PINs with a 70% accuracy on the first guess - 100% by the fifth guess - using just the data collected via the phone's numerous internal sensors.Despite the threat, the research shows that people are unaware of the risks and most of us have little idea what the majority of the twenty five different sensors available on current smart phones do.
And while all the major players in the industry are aware of the problem, no-one has yet been able to find a solution.
Publishing their findings today in the
International Journal of Information Security, the team are now looking at the
additional risks posed by personal fitness trackers which are linked up to our online profiles and can potentially be used to interpret the slightest wrist movements as well as general physical activities such as sitting, walking, running, and different forms of commute.
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