Unlocking a computer programatically is hard and should be so. Locking on the other hand isn't. Perhaps you could lock upon fail to NFC authenticate every x seconds.
That only answers part of the question, since the attacker would still have x seconds to snoop around every time he logged in, but would be such a nuisance that he probably would give up.
Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
21–30 of 172 posts
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#22Maybe some kind of NFC device that you could wear so that the computer would lock/unlock when you were near it ?
Something like this? http://www.map-pin.com/tokenlock-home/
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#23Hi! I'm on the train with bad internet right now and so can't go looking but have you considered face recognition software using the laptops camera? There must be an app that takes a look at the webcam when a password challenge is presented. Anyone know of anything? Edit: Found one! https://www.keylemon.com/download-other-versions/
From what I've read a lot of them can be spoofed with either a printed picture, or a video playing back.
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Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#24Hi! I'm on the train with bad internet right now and so can't go looking but have you considered face recognition software using the laptops camera? There must be an app that takes a look at the webcam when a password challenge is presented. Anyone know of anything? Edit: Found one! https://www.keylemon.com/download-other-versions/
From what I've read a lot of them can be spoofed with either a printed picture, or a video playing back.
It's probably enough for stopping the casual interference the OP wants to prevent.
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#25Hi! I'm on the train with bad internet right now and so can't go looking but have you considered face recognition software using the laptops camera? There must be an app that takes a look at the webcam when a password challenge is presented. Anyone know of anything? Edit: Found one! https://www.keylemon.com/download-other-versions/
Couldn't someone hold up a picture of the OP's face to the camera to bypass this?
I'm not sure if any desktop software does this, but (some?) Android devices can optionally require a blink to unlock with facial recognition.
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#26If you're interested in a custom hardware solution, the folks at hackaday.com may be helpful.
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#27Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#28Maybe some kind of NFC device that you could wear so that the computer would lock/unlock when you were near it ?
That could be stolen though.
But would a casual laptop theif think to check escapologybb's pockets?
Well, OK, a mugger might, but would they recognize little fob thing as something of import that must be close to the computer?
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#29Hi! I'm on the train with bad internet right now and so can't go looking but have you considered face recognition software using the laptops camera? There must be an app that takes a look at the webcam when a password challenge is presented. Anyone know of anything? Edit: Found one! https://www.keylemon.com/download-other-versions/
From what I've read a lot of them can be spoofed with either a printed picture, or a video playing back.
So I guess the next step in the arms-race would be twin cameras (kinect?) to build a 3D image of a face.
Then the bad guys would make a sculpture.
Then the good guys could add some kind of mannerism detection (smile?, wink?).
Then the bad guys would work on latex masks.
....I quite want to see how this evolves tbh.
Re: Ask HN: I'm quadriplegic – can you help me with my security?
#30Hi, do you have any movement or dexterity in your fingers at all? If so, please offer details of this or any other control you have that might be exploited. I have a colleague who once-upon-a-time built a system of low-force buttons and other goodies that enabled a quadriplegic person to work a telephone very effectively, as in they were subsequently employed to do some kind of work over the telephone. Would somethin…
In the vein of finger dexterity, I fear it must be very low, otherwise I'd expect use of a small "joystick mouse" rather than (or at least as a supplement to) SwitchXS and a single-button switch.
That said, I've heard of some quadriplegics with basic finger function using morse code-style inputs in various ways. I don't know details, but this[1] popped up in Google. It seems old but potentially interesting.
I wonder how much work it would be to put together something like an Arduino-based device that takes morse-like input and simulates a USB or Bluetooth keyboard?