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Hackers Can Use Smart Watch Movements To Reveal A Wearer's ATM PIN (ieee.org)

Posted by BeauHD on from the left-hand-free dept.

the_newsbeagle writes: By gaining access to the sensors in someone's smart watch, hackers could track the person's hand movements at an ATM and figure out his/her pin. The hacker needn't be anywhere near the ATM; data can be lifted from the smart watch by either a discreet wireless sniffer or by malware on the watch that sends info to a server. This is hardly the first demonstration of the security flaws in smart watches. Last year, a research group showed that a watch's sensors can reveal keystrokes on a computer keyboard. The team of researchers, led by Chen Wang and Yingying Chen at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, were able to record movements down to the millimeter and crack private ATM PINs with 80 percent accuracy on the first try. To eliminate the security breach, manufacturers could better secure the data stored in their wearables, and/or add noise so one's physical hand movements cannot be as easily translated. Of course, consumers could simply wear their smart watch on their non-dominant hand.

5 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Non-dominant hand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm left handed and wear my watch on my left hand. I don't wear any of these smartwatch tracking devices, though. If someone wants my ATM PIN they're going to have to get it the old fashioned way, sucker me into marrying them.

  2. The researchers have predicted by tgibson · · Score: 3, Funny

    that I am a carpenter who hammers nails at odd hours.

  3. That's why we wear watches on our left hands. by BitterOak · · Score: 3, Funny

    People don't realize this, but about a hundred years ago when people switched from pocket watches to wrist watches, they were clever enough to realize that future models would feature motion sensors and people would do their banking at electronic cash dispensing machines. Hence the tradition of wearing watches on the left hand.

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  4. Ironically .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    In this case, 1111, 2222, 3333, etc. would be the most secure PINs.

  5. Re:Non-dominant hand by Joce640k · · Score: 2, Funny

    This 'attack' is pointless.

    Any idiot who spends money on smart watches isn't going to have any money in his account anyway.

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