‘Continuous facial authentication’ could see employees scanned the whole time they are logged on (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
Spending hours on Zoom is bad enough, but office workers may soon have to get used to being filmed even more.
New software is being developed to continuously monitor workers at their computers, to improve cybersecurity and be sure only authorised workers have access.
It also has the potential to ‘track the user’s emotions in real time’, a controversial new feature of AI, sending out alerts if someone appears tired or stressed and telling them to take a break, for example.
BT has carried out trials of continuous authentication software at its Adastral Park science campus near Ipswich and it is currently at ‘proof of concept’ stage.
A demonstration of the technology was on display at the company’s annual cybersecurity festival held earlier this month, with some teams able to start using it from next month for continued testing.
The technology is a step up from standard facial recognition, which is already widely used to access internal systems with apps such as Microsoft’s Authenticator.
Instead of only being used when someone first logs in somewhere, the new software would continuously film them with a webcam or front-facing camera and identify if their face lines up with the expected dimensions.
A handout on the new technology showcased at BT’s cybersecurity festival on September 12 (Picture: Jen Mills)
Many will baulk at the idea of more widespread electronic surveillance at work, but BT say cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated, and businesses need to adapt.
The company said it spots 2,000 signals of potential cyber-attacks every second, or over 200 million per day, a number which is on the rise.
With hackers and other cyber criminals early adopters of new tech such as AI, businesses are now in an ‘arms race’ to protect their customers and their data, former British Intelligence Officer Ben Owen warned.
Continuous authentication tech could help companies in multiple ways, such as ensuring that if a laptop was stolen while unlocked, it would still be impossible for anyone to access sensitive systems if their biometrics didn’t align.
But although the video is not designed to be broadcast to anyone else – such as bosses – many workers may dislike being monitored in this way nevertheless.
Even the knowledge they are being filmed at all may make people feel awkward about quickly eating a snack at their desk, failing to suppress a yawn if they slept badly, or simply sitting and typing while being watched, even if by an AI.
Mr Owen told attendees how one of the biggest cyber threats to organisations came from the physical world, such as an employee handing over their pass for cash or due to blackmail, or who simply did not take care to lock their computer while stepping away from their desk.
He said employees working from home was also a weak spot when it came to cybersecurity, as employees could be distracted by home life going on in the background, and do not have the same …read more
Source:: Metro
