How To Steal ATM PINs With a Thermal Camera

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers from UCSD have demonstrated how thermal imagery cameras can be used to steal customers' PINs (PDF) when you withdraw cash from ATMs. Their paper, entitled 'Heat of the Moment: Characterizing the Efficacy of Thermal Camera-Based Attacks', (PDF) discovered that plastic PIN pads were the best for retaining heat signatures showing which numbers (and in which order) were used by bank customers. Fortunately the methodology does not appear to have been used by criminals yet, but a third of people surveyed admit that they do not check ATMs for tampering before withdrawing cash."

Comments

Oh Sure, Academia Accepts THAT Paper

[eldavojohn]

Their paper, entitled 'Heat of the Moment: Characterizing the Efcacy of Thermal Camera-Based Attacks' ...

Oh sure everybody wants to show how easy it is to steal everyone else's PIN but when you release a paper detailing how to do it with X-rays and guarantee the target develops cancer and dies within a month leaving their account ripe for unnoticed pilfering then you've "gone too far"!