Go deeper - join us!
X marks the phone
The iPhone X is almost here and not surprisingly, people are gearing up to get the precious new Apple product in their hands. The newest addition to the Apple family features an all-screen design and is equipped with a ton of new features that both the company and purchasers will use to justify the $1,000 price tag.
One of these features is Face ID, which allows users to scan their face in order to unlock their phones. Face scanning seems like top-notch security, except when you consider the whole evil twin scenario.
Two of a Kind
Have you ever been taken for someone else? Just the other day, a man told me “I had a twin out there,” after mistaking me for his coworker. (He was very confused when I couldn’t tell him when I’d be back at work). Now, consider this scenario when it comes to your new iPhone X. Had my mysterious doppelganger known about the new device I had, she could steal it and easily unlock it using her face instead of mine.
Yes, this hypothetical situation seems far-fetched, but it is worth looking into.
Apple certainly did when testing the Face ID feature. In the Face ID Security Guide they mention the probability of a random person unlocking the iPhone X using this method is one in a million. In comparison, this happening with Touch ID is about 1 in 50,000.
Even though chances are slim, the risk increasing when it comes to twins, siblings and kids under the age of 13.
Again, hopefully the chance of a kid under the age of 13 owning a $1,000 phone is also slim.
Obviously siblings have similar facial features which at times cannot be distinguished through Face ID. In the same way, adolescents have not fully developed their facial features, which can also cause confusion.
How to Stay Secure
Unless the sole purpose of owning an iPhone X is to use Face ID, which by the way is available on other devices, than the best option is to use a passcode to lock your phone.
When all else fails, of course there is always the alternative of not purchasing the iPhone X.
