Infrared cameras: What you need to know

Infrared cameras are becoming the norm for logging into laptops and mobile devices. They provide added convenience for authenticating and presence detection using facial recognition, but they also present new avenues for exploitation. This post discusses three things that users should consider when purchasing or using devices with IR sensors.

What is infrared?

Infrared light is a section of the electromagnetic spectrum just past the color red that is closely related to heat. When we refer to heat radiating from an object, we are often talking about infrared radiation. When infrared radiation hits an object, it increases the vibration of the molecules within the object. This is why we feel the warmth of the sun, a fire, or a cup of tea. Infrared waves transfer energy to our skin and we perceive this as heat.

Unlike some species in the animal kingdom, humans cannot see infrared, but we can detect infrared through heat. Because infrared is directly related to temperature, infrared cameras can measure temperature by detecting infrared radiation.

Benefits of infrared cameras for authentication

Due to the relationship between infrared and heat, infrared cameras can work without ambient light, at night, and in dark environments - this is where typical cameras fail. Infrared cameras can emit a controlled pulse of infrared light to illuminate a face and process the data received by the sensor for authentication. This is crucial for reliable facial recognition.

The heat detection capability of infrared sensors adds an extra layer of security by distinguishing between live human skin and inanimate objects. Additionally, by detecting how infrared light bounces off of the skin, infrared cameras can also provide three dimensional (depth) information about the user's face or the environment.

These features make infrared facial recognition far less susceptible to spoofing attempts or bypassing the system using masks, photos, or other replicas that lack the heat profile of a human face. The heat emitted by a user's face confirms life, an important factor in defending against fraud.

The threat of unauthorized access

Infrared cameras on laptop and mobile devices are just as susceptible to unauthorized access as normal built-in cameras. If you use a camera cover on your laptop webcam, consider covering your infrared camera as well. While manufacturers are making solid attempts at protecting authentication related data generated by infrared sensors, do your due diligence to ensure that no unauthorized applications are accessing your infrared camera unless they have explicit permission.

Control your camera settings

The most popular consumer devices with integrated infrared cameras are the Apple iPhone, several Android phones, and Window's laptops. Most infrared cameras are enabled by default and used when you set up facial recognition software like Window's Hello. Take some time to periodically review and adjust your camera settings. Both iOS and Windows operating systems allow you to control which applications have access to your cameras and there are multiple ways to manage access to your camera. Below is a list of options to manage or disable your integrated camera.

1. Physical hardware - This requires opening your device and physically disabling the camera and/or sensors by disconnecting them from your system. This option is most practical if you are handy and do not need to use your integrated camera. This option could void your warranty and is not ideal for mobile devices.
2. BIOS - Some laptop firmware allows you to disable the camera in BIOS. This allows you to greatly reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access to your camera by applications installed on the machine. This configuration can be reversed but it does require rebooting your computer.
3. Registry - On Window's computers, camera access can be disabled in the registry. This is a configuration layer in the operating system where access to your integrated camera can be controlled. The Window's registry should not be updated unless you know what you are doing.
4. Device manager - On Window's computers, you may choose to disable your camera using the device manager. The device manager is a little more user friendly than the registry option, but provides the same effect.
5. System settings - On mobile devices and laptops, this is the most common way to manage camera access. Android, iOS, and Window's operating systems allow you to choose which applications may access your camera. You can also check privacy settings for additional controls to manage your camera.
6. Camera covers - Some laptop devices come with physical shutters, but take a closer look as some devices only include a shutter for the normal camera and not the infrared camera. You can also pick up camera covers for your laptop or phone on Amazon for pretty cheap - just make sure you cover both camera for the most effectiveness.

Conclusion

Infrared sensors provide accurate, secure, reliable, and efficient biometric authentication on laptops and mobile devices. They improve the overall user experience by adapting to low-light and no-light environments. By capturing your face's unique depth and heat characteristics, these sensors can also tell the difference between a human's face and a mask or photo of a human face.

Infrared cameras are just as vulnerable as any other webcam. But you can mitigate potential security and privacy concerns through periodically managing your camera setting. There are several settings and configurations that you can use to maintain control over when and how your infrared cameras are used.