Face Unlock, introduced as a new feature in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich last year, allows users to unlock their smartphones and tablets simply by using their front-facing camera and facial recognition software. We’ve seen this on computers for years, but it was an industry first in the smartphone realm. That being said, soon after it was revealed, people quickly figured out it wasn’t to be relied upon as a means of high-level security since a photo of the owner could just as easily bypass the lock screen. With the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update, however, Google has resolved this exploit, at least to some degree, by requiring people to blink to confirm that they’re an actual, living human being. This measure is called “Liveness Check.” Unfortunately, video recordings and animated GIFs displayed on another phone or computer monitor seem like plausible ways to circumvent the new Liveness Check. PIN, Password and Pattern are still considered better methods to keep your information confidential.
Source: TechCrunch
