A recent study indicates that typing your computer password during a Zoom meeting might expose you to potential cyberattacks. Cybercriminals can use AI tools to ‘hear’ and identify your typing patterns, enabling them to steal your credentials. The research points out that AI can recognize specific keys based on the sounds they make when pressed.
The paper, released on August 3, highlights the heightened risk of sound-based cyberattacks due to the rising use of platforms like Zoom and devices with microphones. The AI tool analyzed could decipher texts, such as passwords, from typing noises with over 90% accuracy.
Durham, Surrey, and Royal Holloway University researchers collaborated on this study. Their findings demonstrate the ability of microphones to discern unique typing rhythms, suggesting that individuals typing on laptops in open environments might be susceptible to their keystrokes being recorded and decoded.
To reach these findings, the research team trained an AI system using sounds from each of the 36 keys on a MacBook Pro. By feeding this data to the AI, it could distinguish the distinct sound signature of each key. Remarkably, when testing Zoom on a MacBook, the AI’s accuracy rate reached 93%, and when using an iPhone 13 mini, the rate increased to 95%.
