When we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S8 here at T3 Towers we had a few reservations about the built-in iris scanner on the flagship new phone, despite absolutely loving the handset itself.
Well now the high-tech security system has been cracked right open by talented hacker Jan Krissler, who has shown in a recent video of his how you can completely fool the system with a low-tech hack.
Want to know how it was done? Then watch the video now:
Video credit: Jan Krissler
As you can see, all Krissler does is take a picture of the phone owner's face using an infrared night mode on a standard point and shoot camera, print said picture out, and then place a contact lens over the eye on the image to give it depth.
The result is that when the image is held up to the iris scanner the handset is immediately unlocked and all options and data made accessible.
Here at T3 Towers we really do appreciate efforts to make securing your phone easier, quicker and more secure, and technology like facial and iris recognition is definitely a step in the right direction, however, this hack has shown that sometimes a simple passcode is a better option when compared to biometrics.
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Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.
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