Scientists have found how to use Wi-Fi to follow an individual as he moves, and without him connecting to the wireless network. The method used is mind -blowing.
You are responsible for the video surveillance of a sought after person. In front of you, many screens broadcast the images captured by the cameras of the district where it was spotted. And here it turns around the corner of a street.
Your expert eye immediately makes a mental photo of the clothes she has, of her approach and any other distinctive sign which will identify her when she is visible again. But an accomplice could very well exchange his clothes with the suspect to blur the tracks. So how to be sure?
This situation that is often found in the films and spy series is not only fiction. It is a problem called in the sector the re -identification. Today, researchers have found how to remedy it using Wi-Fi. The method they use is very effective, not to say frightening.
Here is how Wi-Fi can be used to track you without you connecting
“The main idea is that when a Wi-Fi signal spreads in an environment, its waveform is modified by the presence and physical characteristics of objects and people on its route. These alterations, captured in the form of canal status information (CSI), contain rich biometric information“, Summarize the authors of the study.
Clearly, this means that when you pass near a Wi-Fi network, you disrupt it in a certain way. These disturbances are then analyzed by a neural network which deduces a unique imprint to each individual. Thanks to her, The researchers were able to identify separate people in different places and periods with 95.5 % accuracy.
No matter your outfit works. You don’t even need to have a smartphone on you. The advantage of this technique is that Wi-Fi signals can penetrate walls and other obstacles, and without being affected by lighting conditions. After the surveillance cameras assisted by AI, the thugs will have to be wary of the Wi-Fi hotspots.
