If you use Android’s pattern lock, your device may not be as safe as you think. In recent studies done at the University of Philadelphia, they have found that swiping your finger leaves an oily residue on the screen, which remains even if the screen is wiped clean. Using regular cameras and normal lighting conditions, they were able to take pictures of the screens that had been swiped. Once the pictures were taken, they were opened, and analyzed through simple photo editing software found on most home computers. What they found was, under the right lighting conditions and changing the contrast of the photo just enough, 90 percent of the time the pattern that was used to unlock the phone will be revealed.
Source E Security Planet
