Breaking Into Someone's House? Yeah, There's an App for That.
You probably spend a little time every day protecting your online privacy — when you tell your Internet browser not to remember passwords or discreetly use your body to hide the keyboard when you log in to your money-management systems. But have you become lax in protecting your tangible assets as well?
Most people haven’t yet heard of apps like KeyMe and KeysDuplicated, and it’s time to start spreading the word. The apps are easily downloaded to your smartphone to allow you to scan photos of your keys and upload them to a cloud, where you can then send them out to be 3D printed into novelty shapes — like a bottle opener key — or you can send them to a computerized kiosk that cuts the keys from blanks.
In theory, the apps will make your life a whole lot easier when you accidentally lock yourself out of your apartment. In reality, however, one Wired writer already discovered just how easy it is to use the apps to surreptitiously scan a neighbor’s keys when left alone with them for a few seconds, and later used the new key copies to break into the house (the Wired writer did so with permission from his neighbor, for the record).
According to KeyMe, keys can only be scanned when removed from keyrings, and photos must be taken from four feet away against a white background. The Wired writer, however, managed to have his scan done without taking the keys off the ring and in a stairwell after the neighbor tossed him his keys so he wouldn’t have to come downstairs to let the writer in. KeyMe is also in the business of copying car keys and will even handle those tricky keys that say “Do Not Duplicate” on them, no questions asked.
In case you didn't already know this, the lesson here is to really keep an eye on your keys. Stop leaving them on the table while you grab another round of drinks; take them with you or hide them well when you step away from your desk; think twice before deciding on valet parking if you can find a spot elsewhere.
According to project SNEAKEY, keys can be duplicated from photos taken up to 200 feet away, at an angle, so just having them hanging outside your pockets could be bad news. Despite KeyMe’s promises of safety, CEO and founder Greg Marsh’s soundest advice for all folks is to be smart: “People need to be prudent with where they have their keys and store them, similar to a password.”
The next time you want to trust someone with your keys, consider downloading an app like BeenVerified to make sure they are who they say they are — it may sound like overkill, but unless you’re willing to come home to an apartment stripped of valuables, it’ll likely be your best bet.
[Pic via Flickr - Linus Bohman]
