New AI tool harm: According to a recent study has revealed a startling threat, hackers can use specialised gear to decipher your passwords simply listening to the soft noises your keyboard makes as you write.
This new threat approaches things differently. It’s referred to as a “acoustic side-channel attack,” and it concentrates on the noises your keyboard creates when you type. Hackers with sophisticated tools can piece together the precise letters and numbers you’re typing by analysing these sounds, which might grant them access to your accounts.
An eye-opening experiment was carried out by a group of professionals to demonstrate how serious this issue is. A MacBook Pro 16-inch was the powerful laptop they were using. To record the keyboard’s noises, they positioned a tiny iPhone 13 Mini at a distance of just 17 centimetres from it on a soft cloth. To record the sounds, they also made advantage of the laptop’s built-in recording feature. All of this recorded information was later utilised to train an AI-powered smart computer programme to recognise the sounds of typing. This AI was tested after training. It was able to identify the keys being pressed with an astounding 95% accuracy from the iPhone recording and 93% accuracy from the laptop recording.
The researchers found some valuable advice for safeguarding passwords. You can vary your typing style to make it more difficult for the AI to recognise you. Use a combination of capital and lowercase letters when creating passwords, and press the “shift” key to add additional security measures. Additionally, if you’re on a video conversation, think about turning on some background noise close to your microphone to disorient any possible listeners.
In a world where technology is always evolving, we must stay one step ahead of new threats. While this discovery may sound concerning, it also serves as a reminder that we can find methods to collaborate with technology to keep our information secure. So, the next time you’re typing, keep in mind that even the smallest sounds can play a significant role in keeping your digital life safe.
Also read: WhatsApp to Introduce ‘Passkey’ Feature for Enhanced Security in Future Update
