ThatsMyFace is a company which uses two headshots to 3D print your face – fun gadget, right? But: their technology can be used to trick facial recognition systems.

Remember the latex faces from “Mission Impossible” agent Ethan Hunt wears to trick his opponents? They have become a reality (although they can’t be produced as fast as in the movies) thanks to 3D printing. Companies such as ThatsMyFace, based in Oregon, are already using 3D printing to create life-like representations of faces. They offer nice small Lego figurines, 12″, 6″ and 4″ figures… and also lifelike masks.

A quick test conducted by a cybersecurity company showed that the masks could trick phones with the latest facial recognition unlocking technology.

In fact, stealing your identity could be as simple as taking a few photos from your Facebook profile. It’s as simple as tweaking the photos and sending them to ThatsMyFace. This company can then use a resin 3D printer to print a mask: With this in hand, you potentially have a simple way to fool biometric systems.

What Does this Mean for our Security Systems?

Matt Lewis, pictured above, is the research director of a cybersecurity company in London, NCC Group. He explained to The Times:

“Businesses aren’t deliberately making masks to spoof biometrics, but the fact that the masks can trick commonly used systems shows the challenge security companies face.”

Lewis tested out the technology. He sent just three pictures of his face to ThatsMyFace and for just £250 received a life-like print – which was able to trick some security systems. Experts stress that when it comes to crossing borders or entering buildings, this technology is a lot more advanced. ”Liveness checks” are one particular way of doing this. These checks currently include iris scanners and even thermal imagining – which can’t be fooled that easily.

Source: The Times

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