Just like passwords, patterns can easily be hacked

Aug 24, 2015 08:55 GMT  ·  By

Did you think that your Android lock pattern had a better chance of safeguarding your personal data than if you would be using a standard pattern? According to a new report, it doesn’t.

According to graduate Marte Løge from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Android users tend to choose similar lock patterns that are pretty guessable. The study called "Tell Me Who You Are, and I Will Tell You Your Lock Pattern" took into account more than 4,000 lock patterns and found that 77% of them started from one of the four corners. 44% of these patterns started from the top left corner.

Naturally, the more nodes to create lock patterns, the larger the number of possible combinations, so the harder it would be for someone to figure out your unlock pattern.

The study found that the average number used was 5, which means the average lock screen selection is one in 7152 possibilities. With 4 nodes, the numbers dropped to one in 1624 possibilities. Those opting for eight or nine nodes clearly have a stronger pattern, with one in over 140,000 possible combinations (as seen at Ars Technica).

Android unlock patterns need to be more complex

Løge asked participants to create three different patterns, one for a banking app, one for a shopping app, and one simply for unlocking the smartphone. Still, the majority of people chose to rely on patterns featuring four or five nodes for all the assigned tasks.

The study also showed that the most common lock patterns were fashioned after the shape of a letter in the alphabet. What’s more, the letter was derived from the name of a loved one, spouse or child.

The research also points out that young men are the most prone to creating a more complex unlock pattern than any other age group.

The study ends with a few tips from Løge, who recommends using a high number of nodes and crossovers for complexity, and turning off the “make pattern visible” option, so you can be sure that if someone is peeking over your shoulder, they can’t memorize your pattern.

So what do you think, is it time to start reviewing your Android lock pattern?

Android lock patterns are weak (4 Images)

Simple Android lock patterns
Examples of more complex Android lock patternsNodes used to create Android unlock patterns
+1more