Android’s facial recognition not very secure
16 December, 2011
category: Biometrics, NFC
The facial recognition feature that’s part of the most recent incarnation of the Android mobile device operating system called Ice Cream Sandwich is being panned as very easily fooled, according to an Information Week article.
The feature, which uses a front-facing camera to enable a registered user access to the phone and any features within, is acknowledged as a potential time saver. But seeing that it can be fooled by holding up a printed photo of the registered user, it is seen as a security failure.
Experts are warning users to be skeptical of such new security technologies.
Among the suggested solutions to improve the facial recognition feature would be for some sort of liveness detection, such as requiring a user to smile or wink while in process of authenticating an identity so as to render simple photographs impossible as a way to fool the phone.
Read the full story here.
