When you spend your winters in Helsinki, you have to anticipate not seeing your bare fingers when you’re outdoors for a few months. This is because it’s usually dark out and the average temperature doesn’t break 0°C from December through March.
With this in mind, Sean Sullivan — F-Secure’s Security Advisor —decided to test out Android’s Smart Lock feature that allows users to unlock their phone using unique identifiers other than a finger-entered PIN, pattern, or password. He also wanted to compare it to Apple’s new Face ID, which, according to some reports, isn’t impossible to crack.
https://twitter.com/5ean5ullivan/status/930026047873142784
Your face seems like a decent alternative to a code as it’s unique and, presumably, with you wherever you go. However, Sean quickly found a little glitch in this method of securing entry into your device.
Locking your devices and PCs is a security must, especially if you use the device for work.
Needless to say, in a world where a photo of the face of almost any adult in the world can be found with a few clicks, you shouldn’t feel secure using the Trusted Face Smart Lock as it’s currently implemented.
For now, Sean advises sticking to a unique passcode using all 8 digits Android allows.
Sorry. We know this is a pain, especially in Helsinki.
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