State-of-the-art authentication techniques: Threats and vulnerabilities

Today, most of us are struggling with many accounts, ranging from emails, social media networks to bank accounts. Therefore, we are inevitably obsessed with a copious number of passwords. Simple passwords are easy to memorize but susceptible to password attack. Complicated passwords, on the other hand, offer better protection, yet they are difficult to memorize. In view of this, several alternatives for security techniques are introduced. Some well-known security techniques are face recognition, fingerprint recognition, iris authentication, and recently pattern lock for mobile devices. Recent studies however reveal that these security techniques could be easily spoofed or fooled. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University have shown that specially designed spectacle frames can fool even state-of-the-art facial recognition software. Fingerprints printed using an inkjet printer loaded with capacitive ink and special paper can fool smartphone fingerprint sensors. Researchers from Lancaster University, Northwest University in China, and the University of Bath were able to crack more than 95 per cent of patterns within five attempts.