Skip to main content

Clever illusion helps protect your PIN from 'shoulder surfers'

A PIN password might seem like a secure way to lock a device but, considering how easy it is for a stranger to peak over your shoulder, it might not be that all that secure. Soon, an app called IllusionPIN might help protect your PIN by muddling the keyboard so the numbers appear normal from a distance but randomized when seen up close.

PIN sign-ins are a popular authentication method for various software and devices, from smartphones to ATMs. These relatively short string of digits are easy to remember but, for much the same reason, they are also easy to crack.

Nasir Memon
Nasir Memon
Recommended Videos

“The traditional configuration of numbers on a keypad is so familiar that it’s possible for an observer to discern a PIN or access code after several viewings of surveillance video,” Nasir Memon, a New York University Tandon School of Engineering professor, told Digital Trends. Memon said his team’s aim was to make PIN authentication more secure without requiring much more work from the device or making user experience any less smooth.

The app they developed uses a hybrid-image keyboard that tricks the eye when viewed from a distance of a few feet or more. The specific technology combines an image of a keyboard with a high spatial frequency and a different image of a keyboard with a low spatial frequency. The visibility of each image depends on the distance from which it is seen and results in an illusion that deceives the eye of a “shoulder surfer” so that the keyboard appears to be normal when, in fact, it isn’t.

To test whether IllusionPIN would actually trick an onlooker, the researchers performed 84 shoulder-surfing attacks on 21 participants as they entered their PIN using the app. In a study published online last one in the journal IEEE Xplore, the researchers report that none of the attempted attacks were successful. They also preformed one attack on each participant without using IllusionPIN, each which successfully identified the password.

“We also determined that IllusionPIN makes it nearly impossible to steal PIN or other authentication information using surveillance footage,” Memon said.

Moving forward, the team will explore ideas for deploying their technology on smartphones, ATMs, and computers.

Dyllan Furness
Former Contributor
Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer from Florida. He covers strange science and emerging tech for Digital Trends, focusing…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more