Three Things You Need to Know about Biometric Locks
If you are trying to keep your home or office secure, it's important to keep abreast of what's happening in the world of crime and hacking. Recently, a hacker from Europe managed to clone the fingerprints of a German politician using only a video of the politician. This "triumph" calls into question the security of fingerprint-secured biometric locks.
If you are thinking of getting one of these locks, here are three things you need to know:
1. Cloning fingerprints is still relatively uncommon
In order to clone the politician's fingerprints, the hacker did not need to see or touch the politician. Instead, he simply watched a video of the politician speaking, and from that video, he took close-up shots of the speaker's thumb. These images were contrasted with other images from other angles, and together, they were used to create a cloned print that could be used to open a biometric lock in a security door. Fortunately, this lone hacker is one of the few who currently knows how to do this "trick."
2. Forged biometrics are not the only way to "hack" a biometric lock
At a recent hacking convention, other hackers were also able to easily open a biometric lock. However, they did not waste time cloning fingerprints or trying to "beat" the biometric part of the lock. Instead, they opened up a small flap hiding a keyhole in the biometric lock. Once they had the flap opened, they used a paperclip to open the lock. If you are investing in a biometric lock, do not just focus on how easy it would be to thwart the biometric portion of the lock. Remember to think about the mechanical portion of the lock as well and its vulnerabilities.
3. In order to clone your fingerprints, thieves need pictures or videos
Although cloning fingerprints is possible for a select few, it is not something the average thief is able to accomplish easily. In most cases, going to all that trouble just to break into a home or office is simply not worth it. In order to clone your fingerprints, the hacker needs a photo or video of you. This process could take weeks, and it forces the thief to do a lot of work and research. In most cases, it is far more convenient for the thief to just use a crowbar on your lock or look for weaknesses in your door itself.
However contacting a locksmith such as High Security Locksmiths can help you find the best lock to prevent any theft.
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