Japanese researchers warn that posing for a picture with a peace sign. Posting it online could put you at risk of identity theft.

Feeling confident in your security measures and not worried about the whole stolen identity thing? Using a fingerprint scanner on your computer or mobile phone? You might think again.

Researchers at Japan’s National Institute of Informatics (NII) have worked out that with a photo taken on a digital camera, they can easily copy any fingerprints on display. Amazingly the picture doesn’t even need to be up close. In fact, a camera could be positioned nine feet away from the smiling subject and still work.

The NII aren’t the first to realize it’s possible to take fingerprints and fake an identity. You may remember a story last summer involving Michigan Police asking a researcher to help unlock a phone. The researcher used scans to reconstruct the fingerprints. You can read more about this here.

Researchers at NII focused on peace signs particularly because of how popular the pose is in Japan. Supposedly stealing your fingerprints doesn’t even require advanced technology. It’s not just peace keepers who’re at risk either. If you’re a fan of thumbs up, you’re also at risk.

This information might just change your Facebook habits. NII researcher, Isao Echizen, explained to the Sankei Shimbun newspaper: “Just by casually making a peace sign in front of a camera, fingerprints can become widely available.”

Peace Signs May Enable Criminals

Once a tricky technology to use, fingerprint scanners are becoming widely available. Even our everyday devices are built with the ability to detect fingerprints.

With the rise in trend of being able to unlock your phone or sign into your bank account with just a fingerprint, there is a lot of information linked to your hand.

One way in which the technology has already been used negatively is in the case of Ursula von der Leyen. For example, in 2014, hackers unlocked Germany’s defense minister’s phone using just a photo of her hands. To do this, they made a 3D mold of her fingerprint from images.

However, if you’re feeling anxious, there is some good news. The researchers have already developed a fingerprint anti-theft prevention substance. This works by obscuring your fingerprint or it can also produce a false replacement in the image. It’s good to know they’ve already got out backs if peace sign identity-theft takes off.

Considering changing back to using a password on your iPhone? There is conflicting advice about which option is safer. However, once an identity is stolen in this way, unlike a password, you’ll have a hard time changing your fingerprint. Gloves anyone?

Source: Vocativ