{"id":17847,"date":"2017-09-14T17:12:27","date_gmt":"2017-09-14T15:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.za\/blog\/?p=17847"},"modified":"2019-11-15T13:41:06","modified_gmt":"2019-11-15T11:41:06","slug":"apple-face-id-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.za\/blog\/apple-face-id-security\/17847\/","title":{"rendered":"What is iPhone X Face ID and how secure is it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week the iPhone changed<\/a> in some big ways. Probably the most obvious is the missing \u201cHome\u201d button. That\u2019s right: Apple\u2019s newest flagship smartphone, the iPhone X, has no fingerprint scanner (aka Touch ID). It\u2019s been replaced by something called Face ID.<\/p>\n

Those who watched Apple\u2019s presentation will already be somewhat familiar with Face ID, but we\u2019ll shed some light on this technology, and then turn to the area that\u2019s always on our minds: security.<\/p>\n

What is Apple Face ID and True Depth Camera<\/h2>\n

In brief, Apple\u2019s Face ID is a technology used to recognize a user\u2019s face and unlock the new iPhone as well as confirm payments by comparing its view of their face with a picture stored in the iPhone\u2019s memory. For that, the iPhone X uses a special camera called the True Depth Camera.<\/p>\n

The small peninsula in the upper part of iPhone X\u2019s front panel \u2014 the only part not covered by its massive display \u2014 is tightly packed with sensors and other electronics. In addition to the usual front-facing camera, microphone, speaker, and proximity and ambient light sensors, the phone has three new things: an infrared camera, flood illuminator, and dot projector.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

These three new parts make up the True Depth camera, which maps your face and takes special 3-D pictures that are used to authenticate you. Here\u2019s how it works.<\/p>\n

A flood illuminator is basically just a source of light used to brighten your face in low-light conditions so the camera can get a good picture. The dot projector projects 30,000 invisible infrared dots onto your face. Using those dots, the infrared camera captures your face.<\/p>\n

The dots help outline features and create something like a 3-D map of your face. When setting up Face ID, you will need to rotate your head slightly so that the iPhone X can map your face from different angles.<\/p>\n

From then on, whenever you attempt to use Face ID, the software will take a shotwith the IR camera, and<\/p>\n

if enough features match the 3-D map stored on the phone, you are considered a legitimate user. If the picture doesn\u2019t look quite like the map, you\u2019ll have a chance to repeat the process. At this point, the technology works like a fingerprint scanner, but with one significant difference.<\/p>\n

Apple has built in a special coprocessor that is suitable for machine-learning algorithms, which make the system learn and adapt to you better \u2014 which, in turn, makes the recognition faster as well as helps the system adapt to changes in your facial expression, hair, and accessories. Apple says that if you decide to, say, wear a scarf or grow a beard, the system will still recognize you.<\/p>\n

Face ID\u2019s security features<\/h3>\n

Now that we know how Face ID works, let\u2019s discuss how it differs from traditional facial recognition techniques, which, as we pointed out in earlier posts<\/a>, are quite insecure. Apple has implemented several features to ensure that Face ID works smoothly and is more secure than other systems.<\/p>\n

First, Face ID isn\u2019t fooled by photos \u2014 flat pictures just don\u2019t have a 3-D map of infrared dots on them. By comparison, Samsung\u2019s Face Unlock, implemented in the company\u2019s newest phones, was easily fooled by selfies.<\/p>\n

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Facial Recognition Test: pic.twitter.com\/dVooMPMgfh<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mel Tajon (@MelTajon) September 2, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n