A team of researchers at Cornell University has made a surprising revelation regarding how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can illicitly obtain your personal information, such as passwords, banking details, and a plethora of other data.
They’ve uncovered a method using which most AI bots can eavesdrop on the auditory signals of your keystrokes while typing on a computer, enabling it to access passwords and other things you might order illicitly.
Even more worrisome is that the most commonly used AI bots have impressive success rates. They can predict even the most complex passwords with up to 95 percent accuracy.
How does the hack work
The team at Cornell University trained an AI model by using the auditory patterns of keystrokes. Once introduced, the AI model made an algorithm that would work each time you replaced a keyboard. Because of this, no matter what kind of keyboard you use or how frequently you change your password, the AI bot will eventually figure out what exactly you have set up as your password.
The researchers then deployed their modified AI bot on a nearby mobile device equipped with a microphone. It could listen to the sounds produced by keystrokes on a MacBook Pro and skillfully mimic them.
The researchers also conducted accuracy tests on the AI during virtual meetings on platforms such as Zoom and Skype. The AI could reproduce keystrokes accurately, even amid online conferencing sessions.
It might be assumed that the volume of keyboard sounds would influence the attack’s precision. However, the AI model is focused on intricacies such as waveform, intensity, and temporal aspects of each keystroke. Even minute variations in an individual’s typing style are meticulously accounted for by the AI system.
How to protect yourself in a real-life situation
In practical situations, this attack could be executed via malicious software on a neighboring device equipped with a microphone. This malware would gather the auditory patterns of your keystrokes and employ AI to decode your password information. Several measures to safeguard yourself include:
Biometric Solutions: Use functionalities such as Windows Hello and Touch ID, enabling you to bypass the need for typing passwords altogether.
Password Managers: Opt for a password manager tool to enhance security, offering the advantages of robust protection and randomized passwords.
