Thermal Imaging Can Detect Your PIN

It is something you commonly see in science fiction or even crime stories. High tech thermal imaging devices are used to detect where a person touched when they entered a password or key code to gain entry to secure areas. The person using the technology can quickly figure out the code because the last buttons touched appear warmer than the first buttons pressed.

So, really my question is, why are researchers just now documenting this technique as a possible method for obtaining real-life user's PINs? Perhaps there are too many variables in real life that can affect the results? Things like button material, user pressure, and air temperature. The researchers noted that these all could possibly make the technique more or less successful.

Using their data, the idea to use metal for all ATM keypads was suggested as a possible way to prevent this method from working. Probably because metal tends to cool quickly. Do you remember aluminum commercials a few years back touting this ability? They pushed for consumers to purchase beverages in aluminum cans versus bottles because aluminum cools quickly to get your drink to the desired temperature faster.

Air temperature could also affect this method, even with metal keypads. I think more research would need to be done to really understand whether or not cool air temps would make the metal buttons show the user's heat more, or would it cool even faster? What about warm air temperatures? I would think that current research studies would be more focused on the more intriciate details like this, rather than just the general technique itself.

Science fiction enthusiasts, crime novel readers, movie buffs, and even video gamers (games like Splinter Cell make you use this very technique to gain entry through certain doors) have long been familiar with the technique. It is the finer points in the method that need more research to better understand how the technique could be used successfully. Right now, if a person even had the thermal imaging technology, they would probably need to read the keypad immediately after the user entered their PIN in order to use this method. This means they would have to be in close proximity to the ATM (unless there is some really great thermal imaging technology that can read from afar!)

Related Sources:

ATMs open to thermal imaging attack, researchers confirm

Splinter Cell, (video game)