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Gaze-Tracking Software Protects Computer Privacy
Ponca City, We Love You writes "Two years ago computer security expert Bill Anderson read about scientific research on how the human eye moves as it reads and processes text and images. 'This obscure characteristic... suddenly struck me as (a solution to) a security problem,' says Anderson. With the help of a couple of software developers, Anderson developed a software program called Chameleon that tracks a viewer's gaze patterns and only allows an authorized user to read text on the screen, while everyone else sees gibberish. Chameleon uses gaze-tracking software and camera equipment to track an authorized reader's eyes to show only that one person the correct text. After a 15-second calibration period in which the software learns the viewer's gaze patterns, anyone looking over that user's shoulder sees dummy text that randomly and constantly changes. To tap the broader consumer market, Anderson built a more consumer-friendly version called PrivateEye, which can work with a simple Webcam to blur a user's monitor when he or she turns away. It also detects other faces in the background, and a small video screen pops up to alert the user that someone is looking at the screen. 'There have been inventions in the space of gaze-tracking. There have been inventions in the space of security,' says Anderson. 'But nobody has put the two ideas together, as far as we know.'"
If your workers are handling sensitive material maybe you shouldn't have them in a cubicle with their back to the entrance.
Chameleon uses gaze-tracking software and camera equipment to track an authorized reader's eyes
Check, that's doable now.
to show only that one person the correct text.
How? Elfin magic? If a screen region under the "authorized reader's" field of view is displaying the protected content to the authorized reader, it's also displaying exactly the same thing to anyone else who happens to be looking at the same area.
So far as I can tell, this is the part of the proof labeled "Magic happens here". Also known as the part of the technology that needs more investment. So invest now!
Where's my flying car, dammit?
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
Have you actually, say, worked with a privacy screen? The ones which have been foisted upon me suck. That and, oh, yeah, they don't work with laptops. However, an even sweeter rendition would be focus follows gaze, particularly for X11 and the random desktop environments. Then instead of wiggling the mouse every time I switch screens, I could just type where I'm looking. Obviously, it should hold the focus and let me keep typing if I'm still typing when I look away.
Screw privacy, I want my window manager to focus the window I'm looking at. Now that would be useful.
Sheldon