Warning: the 4 digit PIN on your phone is way easier to crack than you think
I was reading a security blog from a researcher in London who tested this with a program on a $200 device. He could get past a 4 digit code in under 15 minutes because there are only 10,000 possible combos and most people use dates or patterns. The part that got me was that a 6 digit PIN takes way longer, like weeks instead of minutes, just from adding two more numbers. I switched mine to 6 digits the same night. Does anyone know if the fingerprint scanner on older phones has a similar weak spot?
A $200 device cracking a 10,000 password list in 15 minutes sounds about right, and honestly my bank app probably has better security than my phone's lock screen. Adding two digits to my PIN was the easiest upgrade I've ever done, now if only the fingerprint sensor didn't recognize my thumb after a shower.