Touchscreen Smudges Can Reveal Android Passcodes

If you thought your Android phone was safe just because you had a passcode on it, brace yourself for this new bit of info. According to a recent paper by the University of Pennsylvania, Android users are leaving their passcodes out in the open due to oily fingertip smears. You might want to put down those french fries, right about now, as this study reveals that partial, or even complete, passcode patterns could be retrieved using different lighting and camera orientation settings—even with incidental clothing contact.

Honestly, I’m not that surprised. It’s been known for forever that our fingers can smudge the screens of anything touchscreen-able. I’m just somewhat disappointed that it’s taken us so long to realize the potential damage these smudges could pose for security. But hey, go figure.

Source: Tech News Daily