Transmitting passwords wirelessly through your body: a new ultra secure method of authentication.

4

October

2016

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With information technologies developing incredibly fast these days, a security problem has also emerged. With people eavesdropping or hackers attempting to break encrypted codes, the exchange of data (through wireless signals) has become very vulnerable. Now it seems there is a way to send wireless signals in a much more secure manner. But, could this be a disruptive technology in the future?

“Computer scientists and electrical engineers have devised a way to relay the signal from a fingerprint scanner or touchpad through the body to a receiving device that is also in contact with the user.”

So how does this actually work?

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are signals with a relatively high frequency. This means the signals are carried through the air and thus easier to intercept by people they’re not meant for. Now, a team of scientists has figured out how to turn fingerprint sensors into transmitters of weak, low frequency signals. Because of their weakness, these signals cannot be carried through the air, making it impossible for others (e.g. hackers) to intercept them. Interestingly, these signals can travel through the human body.

What does this mean?

Take for instance a door with an electronic smart lock. With this new technology, you can touch the doorknob and the fingerprint sensor on your phone and this way transmit a secret code/password through your body, to open the door. Important is the fact that this way the information is not “leaked” through the air, as would be the case through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This technology could be used in various other ways in the future, for instance on-site server and network authentication, but also on medical devices such as glucose monitors.

This new technology, which consists of fingerprint biometrics, does have some disadvantages. As devices capture not only an image of the finger, but also dirt and greases there are chances of being rejected during the authentication. Secondly, current technology cannot distinguish artificial fingerprints from real ones, making it possible to “trick” the scanner.

While these systems only work at an intimate scale, a truly secure method to transmit data wireless, even just at short range, could unlock many different possibilities in the future besides smart locks and wearable medical devices.

Fellow students, do you think in the future we will open password-locked doors using only our phones and body instead of the traditional keys?

 

Sources:

http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/2980000/2971682/p1100-hessar.pdf?ip=83.85.70.51&id=2971682&acc=OPEN&key=4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E4D4702B0C3E38B35%2E6D218144511F3437&CFID=846456862&CFTOKEN=13366143&__acm__=1475444308_baffea55a0d05dfb8f42dead371520d7

http://www.washington.edu/news/2016/09/27/secure-passwords-can-be-sent-through-your-body-instead-of-air/

http://www.vocativ.com/363636/hack-proof-password/

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Autonomous vehicles, a disruption for the better?

20

September

2016

5/5 (1)

The development of self-driving, or autonomous, vehicles is accelerating. Several auto-manufacturers are adapting their business models for fully self-driving cars. Many speak of a disruptive technology in the automotive industry. But, what will the impact of this technology be?

Self-driving vehicles are a major innovation regarding the automotive industry. Let’s for instance look at Tesla. Tesla was one of the first to implement the so-called “autopilot” in its cars. This technology enabled the car to manage its speed, steer within lanes and even switch between them when needed. Before this there had been no car that could drive itself safely in a variety of conditions. So what are the main advantages of autonomous cars?

  • The lack of human error whilst driving, which results in a safer journey.
  • Traffic and fuel efficiency will greatly improve.
  • More free time for drivers.

Others are more sceptical about the new technology. They state the following disadvantages:

  • The possibility of hardware/software malfunction, resulting in an accident.
  • Autonomous cars would likely be out of the price range for many.
  • Truck- and taxi drivers will lose their jobs.

These pro’s and cons mentioned, show that several industries are closely related to the automotive industry, for instance the auto-repair industry. According to McKinsey around 90% of the car accidents could be eliminated with the adoption of autonomous vehicles. This of course has a major influence on the auto-repair industry. Since cars will be safer and less likely suffer of damage, little repair will be necessary, resulting in job losses throughout the whole industry.

Because of the relatively high prices autonomous cars will sell for, some experts say not many will own them. Instead, these cars will enable the ride sharing economy to grow. Uber, one of the key-players in this industry, has been investing heavily in this technology and recently started with its first fleet of self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. As a result, public transport will lose market at the expense of this new “sharing model” resulting in a lot of job losses in this industry. The same goes for taxi-drivers.

This technology seems to be evolving in a rapid pace. However, our infrastructure and legislation has not been fully adapted yet for this new disruptive technology. In May of 2016, a fatal accident took place in the US involving a Tesla model S operating in autopilot. Tesla stated that a crossing truck was mistaken for an overhead sign (due to reflecting daylight), which caused the cars automatic braking not to fire. In cases like these it is not easy to tell who’s to blame. Is it the “driver” (who did not intervene in time) or would it be the manufacturer of the car (which delivered a mal-functioning system).

Reflecting on the accidents with regards to autonomous driving, the uncertainty for several other industries (and its jobs) and the legislation which have not been adapted yet, I ask the question: Are we ready to take our hands off the wheel?

References:

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