The article discusses British researchers training an AI to recognize keystrokes by sound using a smartphone as a microphone. The AI achieved an accuracy of 95 percent in recognizing the password typed into a laptop. It was also able to recognize passwords during video meetings on Skype and Zoom with accuracies of 92 percent and 93 percent, respectively.
The researchers used a MacBook Pro with an M1 chip and an iPhone 13 Mini placed 17 centimeters away. They converted the audio recordings into images to train an image AI. As a defense measure, they recommend users to use the ten-finger system when typing, as it significantly lowers the recognition rate of individual keys. Additionally, using upper and lower case letters and special characters in passwords can make it more difficult for AI to reconstruct them. They also recommend using a password manager for the best protection.
The article also highlights that password managers like Keepass automatically fill in passwords with a click of the mouse, providing the best protection against such AI attacks.
