Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania [PDF file] have found that the Android's graphical password system, which requires that a set pattern be swiped in order to access the phone, is susceptible to hacking.

"Unlocking your phone in this way leaves oily residues on the screen that can remain even if you wipe it," writes CNET UK's Asavin Wattanajantra.

"Using standard cameras and lights, researchers took pictures of the touchscreens and analysed the images with simple photo-editing software available on most home computers," Wattanajantra writes. "The study found that in ideal lighting conditions, researchers could find the pattern password of a phone more than 90 per cent of the time, simply by increasing the contrast of the photo."

Click here to read the CNET UK article.

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