Samsung has just unveiled that it has increased the security of the Android Face Unlock feature, a simply security measure that allows you quick access to your Android smartphone without having to enter a code or pattern.
However, it’s no secret that the Face Unlock feature can be cracked, simply by showing the smartphone a picture of the owner. Google have said from the outset that the Face Unlock feature was never designed to be a serious biometric security feature. However, that hasn’t stopped Samsung from attempting to increase the security of Face Unlock to make it more secure and hopefully more useful for users who are keen to make sure the data on their smartphone stays safe.
The change made by Samsung seems quite basic, however should improve the security of Face Unlock dramatically. From now, owners of a Samsung ICS device that have Face Unlock enabled will be required to also blink while showing their face to the smartphone. It’s obvious really when you think about it, and perhaps something that Google should have implemented from day one to eliminate the possibility of using photographs to gain unauthorised entry to an Android device.
I should imagine that with this update, the risk of your friend trying to get access to your smartphone by using a picture is now quite slim – unless they happen to have an animated gif of you blinking… then it may be a problem.
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