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Is password entry being recorded on camera a realistic concern?
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I live in a city where CCTV camera coverage is comprehensive and increasing. Cameras are getting cheaper and higher resolution. Everyone has a video camera in their pocket already, and we are starting to see trends which indicate always-on cameras may become commonplace in other devices like glasses.
It has occurred to me, when out in public and entering my username/password into apps on my phone and laptop, that if a camera could capture both my screen and my keyboard, it could be fairly straightforward for a viewer to grab or guess my credentials from the footage assuming a high enough resolution image and the view not being (too) obscured.
Without going too much into the details of how it would be implemented, the accuracy and cost etc, I have a background in image processing and so am also aware that this would likely be automatable to at least some degree.
So I thought I would ask the community here if this is actually a viable risk? Have there been any known instances of it happening already? Are people thinking about this with respect to the viability of plaintext credential entry into apps in the long run?
passwords user-names
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
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up vote
9
down vote
favorite
I live in a city where CCTV camera coverage is comprehensive and increasing. Cameras are getting cheaper and higher resolution. Everyone has a video camera in their pocket already, and we are starting to see trends which indicate always-on cameras may become commonplace in other devices like glasses.
It has occurred to me, when out in public and entering my username/password into apps on my phone and laptop, that if a camera could capture both my screen and my keyboard, it could be fairly straightforward for a viewer to grab or guess my credentials from the footage assuming a high enough resolution image and the view not being (too) obscured.
Without going too much into the details of how it would be implemented, the accuracy and cost etc, I have a background in image processing and so am also aware that this would likely be automatable to at least some degree.
So I thought I would ask the community here if this is actually a viable risk? Have there been any known instances of it happening already? Are people thinking about this with respect to the viability of plaintext credential entry into apps in the long run?
passwords user-names
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
add a comment |Â
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
up vote
9
down vote
favorite
I live in a city where CCTV camera coverage is comprehensive and increasing. Cameras are getting cheaper and higher resolution. Everyone has a video camera in their pocket already, and we are starting to see trends which indicate always-on cameras may become commonplace in other devices like glasses.
It has occurred to me, when out in public and entering my username/password into apps on my phone and laptop, that if a camera could capture both my screen and my keyboard, it could be fairly straightforward for a viewer to grab or guess my credentials from the footage assuming a high enough resolution image and the view not being (too) obscured.
Without going too much into the details of how it would be implemented, the accuracy and cost etc, I have a background in image processing and so am also aware that this would likely be automatable to at least some degree.
So I thought I would ask the community here if this is actually a viable risk? Have there been any known instances of it happening already? Are people thinking about this with respect to the viability of plaintext credential entry into apps in the long run?
passwords user-names
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
I live in a city where CCTV camera coverage is comprehensive and increasing. Cameras are getting cheaper and higher resolution. Everyone has a video camera in their pocket already, and we are starting to see trends which indicate always-on cameras may become commonplace in other devices like glasses.
It has occurred to me, when out in public and entering my username/password into apps on my phone and laptop, that if a camera could capture both my screen and my keyboard, it could be fairly straightforward for a viewer to grab or guess my credentials from the footage assuming a high enough resolution image and the view not being (too) obscured.
Without going too much into the details of how it would be implemented, the accuracy and cost etc, I have a background in image processing and so am also aware that this would likely be automatable to at least some degree.
So I thought I would ask the community here if this is actually a viable risk? Have there been any known instances of it happening already? Are people thinking about this with respect to the viability of plaintext credential entry into apps in the long run?
passwords user-names
passwords user-names
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
asked 1 hour ago
davnicwil
1464
1464
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
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votes
up vote
4
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Lots of examples. A high-profile and recent example is when Kanye was caught on camera entering his "00000" password to unlock his device.
Shoulder-surfing is one reason why applications do not display the password text on the screen, but show ****** instead.
And this is one reason why multi-factor authentication is so important. If you know the password, you cannot use it without another factor.
I have even seen viable research into capturing the sound of the keyboard when a user types the password, even over the computer's microphone.
So, yes, you describe a viable risk that the industry has been addressing for a long time. The specifics of high-res cameras is just not a significant enough of a new factor to consider. Shoulder-surfing and keyloggers are a current risk.
The industry knows that it needs to develop something better than passwords, and there are many active attempts to do so, but nothing is mature or stable enough yet.
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
3
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
3
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Lots of examples. A high-profile and recent example is when Kanye was caught on camera entering his "00000" password to unlock his device.
Shoulder-surfing is one reason why applications do not display the password text on the screen, but show ****** instead.
And this is one reason why multi-factor authentication is so important. If you know the password, you cannot use it without another factor.
I have even seen viable research into capturing the sound of the keyboard when a user types the password, even over the computer's microphone.
So, yes, you describe a viable risk that the industry has been addressing for a long time. The specifics of high-res cameras is just not a significant enough of a new factor to consider. Shoulder-surfing and keyloggers are a current risk.
The industry knows that it needs to develop something better than passwords, and there are many active attempts to do so, but nothing is mature or stable enough yet.
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
3
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
3
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
Lots of examples. A high-profile and recent example is when Kanye was caught on camera entering his "00000" password to unlock his device.
Shoulder-surfing is one reason why applications do not display the password text on the screen, but show ****** instead.
And this is one reason why multi-factor authentication is so important. If you know the password, you cannot use it without another factor.
I have even seen viable research into capturing the sound of the keyboard when a user types the password, even over the computer's microphone.
So, yes, you describe a viable risk that the industry has been addressing for a long time. The specifics of high-res cameras is just not a significant enough of a new factor to consider. Shoulder-surfing and keyloggers are a current risk.
The industry knows that it needs to develop something better than passwords, and there are many active attempts to do so, but nothing is mature or stable enough yet.
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
3
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
3
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
Lots of examples. A high-profile and recent example is when Kanye was caught on camera entering his "00000" password to unlock his device.
Shoulder-surfing is one reason why applications do not display the password text on the screen, but show ****** instead.
And this is one reason why multi-factor authentication is so important. If you know the password, you cannot use it without another factor.
I have even seen viable research into capturing the sound of the keyboard when a user types the password, even over the computer's microphone.
So, yes, you describe a viable risk that the industry has been addressing for a long time. The specifics of high-res cameras is just not a significant enough of a new factor to consider. Shoulder-surfing and keyloggers are a current risk.
The industry knows that it needs to develop something better than passwords, and there are many active attempts to do so, but nothing is mature or stable enough yet.
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
Lots of examples. A high-profile and recent example is when Kanye was caught on camera entering his "00000" password to unlock his device.
Shoulder-surfing is one reason why applications do not display the password text on the screen, but show ****** instead.
And this is one reason why multi-factor authentication is so important. If you know the password, you cannot use it without another factor.
I have even seen viable research into capturing the sound of the keyboard when a user types the password, even over the computer's microphone.
So, yes, you describe a viable risk that the industry has been addressing for a long time. The specifics of high-res cameras is just not a significant enough of a new factor to consider. Shoulder-surfing and keyloggers are a current risk.
The industry knows that it needs to develop something better than passwords, and there are many active attempts to do so, but nothing is mature or stable enough yet.
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
edited 1 hour ago
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
answered 1 hour ago
schroeder♦
68.7k25145183
68.7k25145183
3
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
3
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
3
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
3
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
3
3
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
I would also add that there has been a case where a high-res photo was taken of a finger and used to create a replica fingerprint and used to open the biometrics of a phone. So, yes, cameras are a threat.
– schroeder♦
1 hour ago
3
3
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
I think the new factor with cameras is the potential for scale through both wider passive capture and automation
– davnicwil
1 hour ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
@davnicwil yep, that's a good point too. When designing the camera placement in an office building, we had to perform a number of calculations on the risks of capturing people typing. What I'm saying is that the problem space is far from new.
– schroeder♦
48 mins ago
add a comment |Â
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