""There are few security measures I can think of that aren't an additional step," said Bryant Walker Smith, an affiliate scholar at Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society. "Conceivably, you might unlock simply by saying, 'Apple, give me directions to Redmond, Washington,' and there would be no additional steps. Cutting away that one step makes it that much easier to interact with your device as a conversational partner or assistant, where you just ask a question rather than unlock and ask it a question."
"There's always kind of an alarmingly high proportion of people who are willing to let such an important device be freely available to the world," Smith said. "Anything that can make it easier for people to adopt that very basic level of security might be desirable."
But a voice-based security protocol could have a vulnerability, Smith suggested during a phone interview. "If I were trying to get into your phone, I would probably record this conversation right now," Smith said. "I bet I could get you to say anything you need to say to get into the phone."
Apple's patent, which may or may not result in a product or service, fits with the growing trend toward voice-based interaction, Smith said."
- Date Published:04/28/2016
- Original Publication:The Mercury News