You're wrong to say that the element of security it provides is low because, even with this workaround, you still don't have access to the data on the device. All this "workaround" does is keep the chain of trust from the original device. You'd still need to be able to unlock the device in order to get anything from it. It doesn't reset the FaceID information or bypass it in any way.
Cool that they took the time to explore the limits of it, but FaceID is about convenience with security, not maximum security. Having physical access to the phone is still required, which is a pretty big obstacle for this kind of attack.
There is also a quick button squeeze you can do that requires passcode for the next unlock, so you can do that before you go to bed if you're really afraid someone is going to gain physical access to your device.
At the same time, the system needs to be judged as to if it's secure or not, not if it's the best possible implementation of FaceID or not. After all, something like a fingerprint reader on the back is a valid alternative.
At the end of the day, a system where it's likely you'll find someone who can unlock it isn't very secure.
I strongly disagree. Bad security is worse than no security. It's better to disable FaceID when the security of the system has been breached rather than to limp on regardless.
In terms of security vs convenience though, I'm not going to enter a decent passphrase into my phone many times per day. A short passcode can trivially be shoulder-surfed, so FaceID is still better security than what I otherwise would be using, even if it's not perfect. The convenience also lets me have more apps individually locked, meaning I can hand an unlocked device to someone knowing they still have somewhat limited access.
I'm not pleased with the security aspect of face id though. I get that touch id is not highly secure either, but I'm more confident in it and it does not require looking at a phone to unlock.
Except that the 'work around' does maintain security since it preserves the original FaceID chip assembly.
"The most sophisticated repair shops have found a workaround, but it’s not a quick, clever hack—it’s physically moving a soldered chip from the original screen onto the replacement. "
Another thing is that an attacker only gets a few chances to use the face unlock before the phone requires a pin. How many tries did it take them while having to re-enable FaceId after locking the phone? IMO, it's only 'broken' if they can get the face right the first time without causing the phone to lock itself.
That would be an extremely bad idea. In that scenario, imagine FaceID fails to recognize you, now you can't get into your device. Currently if FaceID fails, you have passcode as an alternative way into the device.
Repeating myself here but for me FaceID actually does feel like an improvement, despite my many doubts about it in the beginning.
Yes there are some occasions where it doesn't work well (when you're trying to unlock the phone without looking at it properly) but there are also many occasions where it works much better. Most of the time my phone now unlocks so smoothly that I don't even realise it was locked. I just take it out of my pocket, swipe up and I'm on my home screen.
Agreed on reachability though, that has never worked well for me either. I just avoid using it now.
The point of the article is that many people are complaining about FaceID's security in abstract. The alternatives, like the relatively common 'no password' or '123456 pin' are much LESS secure than FaceID.
The other arguments people are making tend to be very fanciful scenarios that don't apply to normal people (state actors, high quality makeup shops with a perfect face mold of your face, etc).
It may not be perfect but like TouchID it's probably way better than the alternative.
This discussion arises because we collectively wish for a completely secure (as in does not unlock unless you want it to) yet near-instant unlock mechanism.
It's not that OP worries they might be doing something sketchy enough that law enforcement would go through those lengths. The issue is that Face ID's difficulty to crack is a function of time, not knowledge. Thus, it is not the holy grail we seek, and if you have anything of interest on your phone, whether political, corporate or just illegal, it's not even an option if you wish to secure your system.
You're right, unlocking the phone every single time you want to interact with it is exceedingly tedious.
Which is why I remove the FaceID/passcode completely. The overall improvement to my QoL is well worth the increased risk. And all my truly sensitive apps are passcode protected, anyway.
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