Photos from your iPhone could be your new password
This news is sure to surprise us all. A young Australian teenager recently shared a solution that, according to him, many users should employ to keep their devices secure.
As we mentioned initially, this young man has specified that one of the biggest problems with mobile devices is their security methods . However, he believes he has found the solution to the world's password problems: using images instead of entering passwords.
A picture is worth a thousand passwords
Currently, most users employ traditional 4-digit passwords to unlock their iPhones. This applies primarily to iOS devices using conventional methods.
And in the new versions of iPhone 5S , we are offered the well-known " Touch ID " or fingerprint detection, a particular method through fingerprint recognition.
In both cases, and according to what millions of users have shown, this method is easy to guess and insecure. In many cases, these same passwords are even used for multiple services simultaneously, becoming the only alternative users find to avoid remembering numerous and complex passwords.
However, this conventional method, which we are all accustomed to, changed this week. Following a cybersecurity conference called Passwords , held in Las Vegas, USA, it was revealed that Sam Crowther had unveiled a new security option for his iPhone.
Eighteen-year-old Crowther has refrained from starting university. This is because the young Australian has dedicated himself entirely to the development and launch of his picture password startup, uSig.
The application Crowther presented is essentially a system that allows users to choose a photograph from their device as their password for a web service. This password is then transmitted as an incredibly long password, approximately 512 characters to be exact.
Where is the logic in this new system? The logic Sam Crowther applies is this: first, it's more practical to remember a specific image than a few numbers. And second, it's unlikely that a stranger, having access to your device, could guess and select the image you specifically chose.
This has undoubtedly been a good move against spyware , known as keylogging software. And considering that the application automatically locks the device after three failed attempts, Crowther assures us that the system will present a second authentication option, where a PIN will then be required. This is indeed a new system, which, while admittedly a bit more complex, will certainly be difficult to tamper with. Don't you think?
And if the user deletes this photo, they can simply reset their password using another image, which will then become their new password.
Finally, according to Per Thorsheim , a Norwegian cybersecurity consultant and organizer of major conferences worldwide, Sam Crowther's idea has not yet been tested. However, it shows great promise, given its innovative and novel approach to current password systems.
