Windows 10's Facial Recognition Can Even Distinguish Between Identical Twins

[dgstorm]

Windows 10's new "Hello" facial recognition software is a huge step forward in security. In fact, it's so good, it wasn't foiled by identical twins during testing by The Australian. The testers used several different sets of "test twins" and they even had them try and trick the system by having the original login twin adopt different hairstyles or add glasses.

There were a few instances in which it took the software some time to figure things out, but there were no security breaches. The only time it failed was when it couldn't create a login for eleven year old Isabelle and Natalie Brown, yet it still never gave access to someone it shouldn't have.

Here's a quote from the source of this story with a few more details on this tech,

Microsoft says Windows Hello is based on “asymmetric key cryptography”, technology that powers smart cards and is used to verify web servers and mobile phone networks.

It’s well established but previously hasn’t been adapted to consumer computing.

Microsoft says hackers cannot steal your biometric information. The heat-sensing IR camera doesn’t allow access to someone waving a photograph in front of the camera. The IR camera also increases reliability in cases where users wear cosmetics, have facial hair or there’s a variation in lighting conditions.

According to Microsoft, the biometric key is stored only on the device where facial recognition is established, and usable only with it. So a hacker would need to steal your computer to even attempt authentication.

Microsoft claims a false acceptance rate of lower than one in 100,000. It says the incident whereby a Russian hacker last year posted 1.2 billion passwords on the net shows passwords are a lost cause as a security measure.

It looks like Microsoft has a true, ground-breaking technology in the works, and we already have it available now! It's amazing what those engineers in Redmond have come up with. It looks like in the near future, we won't be needing clunky passwords anymore!

Don't forget to drop by our dedicated Windows 10 section for further discussion: Windows 10 Forum | Microsoft Surface Forums

 

[4Nines]

I wonder if a Hollywood special effects makeup artist could fool the facial recognition software? That I would like to see

 

[leeshor]

My facial appearance has changed so much lately I would probably get locked out of my own system.

 

[cereal killer]

I still can't believe what they were able to accomplish with their facial recognition software. It's truly miraculous the accuracy of it. There are some brilliant minds in this world. I'm just stunned to be perfectly honest.

 

[GreyFox7]

I wonder if I can have two user Id's based off of two facial expressions? Work offWork

 

[El Chorizo]

Strange, I can't imagine twins not defeating it. If some humans can't tell the difference how can the algo?

 

[liftedplane]

Strange, I can't imagine twins not defeating it. If some humans can't tell the difference how can the algo?

you can't be seriously asking that?

the human eye could not possibly distinguish anywhere NEAR as many features as a camera and an algorithm,

humans are incredibly fallible, the mind is always filling in blanks... computers... it's all fact based, the algorithm runs completely on yes or no... no gray area that the human mind may slip in there.

 

[sharpuser]

Fact based?
Well, Surface Pro 3 battery life certainly seems to be some of that grey area.

 

[sharpuser]

Regarding facial recognition, I was able to catch Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10125 a few months ago with parts of Microsoft "Hello" enabled. A update to that Build shut it down within about three hours.

Just enough time to play with it a bit and do some cynical photo editing...