19
Aug, 2015
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Tip of the Week: “Windows Hello” Unlocks Your PC With Your Face

b2ap3_thumbnail_facial_recognition_400.jpgWhile new Windows 10 features like Cortana and the return of the Start Menu are getting a lot of attention, there’s another cool addition that’s sure to change your Windows experience for the better. Using Windows Hello, you can actually log into your PC… with your face!

This technology isn’t new to Microsoft; a biometric authentication feature has been available with Xbox One’s Kinect since its release. However, unlike Kinect, the camera for Windows Hello promises to only be activated when it’s needed. This is a lesson in privacy that Microsoft learned the hard way after facing sharp criticism for designing Kinect’s camera to be “always on.”

Although, don’t expect to be able to use Windows Hello with your current webcam. Instead, Windows Hello requires a special Intel RealSense 3D camera, priced at less than $100. It’s reported that the newest Windows 10 laptops and PCs are already being shipped with RealSense cameras, and more models are expected to adopt RealSense cameras later this year.

The Advantages of Biometrics Authentication
To sweeten the deal, Windows Hello gives a user the capability to also log in with their iris and fingerprint. Biometrics technology like this being available on a popular platform like Windows 10 is a huge leap forward in transitioning away from passwords, which are becoming a more vulnerable way to protect your information with every passing year. Dustin Ingalls, member of Windows Security Team, explains in a Microsoft promotional video the benefit of using Windows Hello biometric technology:

As a hacker, if I get ahold of your password, I can use that from anywhere. But with [biometrics]… the key is actually bound in hardware to my device. So the only way a hacker can use my identity, is to actually steal the device. When you use Windows Hello, not only does the attacker have to steal my device, but they also have to be able to use my biometrics. Which is super challenging.

Okay, what about a hacker simply using a picture of you to unlock the device?

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This is why Windows Hello only works with the RealSense 3D camera, because it’s compatible with Microsoft’s anti-spoofing capabilities which require a slight turn of the head. Time will tell how well Windows Hello can lock out identical twins and 3D-printed miniatures; but, seeing that the RealSense camera is capable of analyzing a person down to their facial hair, we’re sure that it’s still a much safer route than passwords.

Setting Up Windows Hello on Your PC
For those with Windows 10, Windows Hello is easy to setup. Go to settings, enable a PIN, and then stare into the RealSense camera to let it detect your face. Users who wear glasses will want to let the camera capture images of yourself with your glasses both on and off. Once your settings are saved, an animated eye will show up on the lock screen, look at you, and wink after it’s detected that you are really you. Windows Hello will then grant you access to your PC with a welcoming message.

It’s as simple as that. With security innovations like Windows Hello, it’s only a matter of time before we never have to remember a password ever again!

13
Jul, 2015
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Forget Passwords: Access Your Phone By Identifying Pics of Familiar Faces

b2ap3_thumbnail_facial_recognition_400.jpgWith all the hacking attacks we’ve seen in the news, it’s painfully obvious that using passwords just isn’t enough to protect our information. We now have more security measures available than ever before. One of the more unique and effective solutions to have surfaced is Facelock, a clever solution that grants access based on how well you can identify images of your friends and family.

What makes Facelock unique is that it taps directly into your personal memories. By displaying a series of images of people that only you know, in a randomly generated order and with faces scattered in different positions, access is not dependent on a code or a string of characters (which hackers have become skilled at bypassing). Instead, for a hacker to be successful, they will have to tap into your memories, a technology that only exists in science fiction.

You might be thinking, “Okay, what if the device is picked up by a close friend who knows all of the same people that I know?” First off, if they truly are a close friend, they wouldn’t be a jerk and hack into your phone. Second, it’s rare for 100 percent of a person’s friends to be the same. After all, even your spouse had a life before they met you, which included many people whom you’ve never been introduced to.

As secure as Facelock is, a hacker who’s familiar with your social circles does have a better chance at accessing your Facelock-enabled device. In a study of Facelock’s effectiveness, 6.6 percent of hackers who knew the victim were able to successfully bypass Faceflock. Hackers who didn’t know their victims had a less than one percent success rate. Overall, when the two groups were combined, the study showed that Facelock had a 97.5 percent success rate. Additionally, the study showed that would-be hackers who didn’t know the people in the images had a difficult time distinguishing multiple pictures of the same person if they didn’t have a prominent facial feature (like a big nose or a large forehead).

The advantage of Facelock is that you never again have to worry about forgetting your password. However, one disadvantage is that it might not work for your business technology because it will require your IT support team to be familiar with the user’s circle of friends. Plus, for someone who knows you very, very well, hacking into your device may be as easy as playing the classic board game “Guess Who,” minus the fun.

Does Facelock seem like the perfect solution to forgetting your password? Would you trust those who are familiar with your circle of family and friends enough to leave them alone with a Facelock-protected smartphone? Let us know in the comments.