Scientists from the KASTEL Institute of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have proposed a system for identifying people by analyzing Wi-Fi signals. An experiment involving 197 volunteers showed that the technology was nearly 100% accurate regardless of the angle at which people stood and whether they moved.
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The technology is based on feedback signals sent to the router from client devices connected to the Wi-Fi network. This information is transmitted unencrypted, meaning anyone within network coverage can intercept and read it. By analyzing these radio signals over time, scientists learned to reconstruct images of people from different angles in the room. No special equipment is required – standard, unmodified Wi-Fi equipment will suffice.
“By observing the propagation of radio waves, we can create an image of the surrounding environment and the people present. This works similarly to a normal camera, the only difference is that in our case, instead of using light for identification, normal radio waves are used.”Professor Thorsten Strufe explains: “In order for the system to work, a person does not need to own a smartphone, smart watch or any other device with Wi-Fi; if there is such a device, disabling it will not help – the signal from other devices is enough. Wireless networks are ubiquitous, present in homes, offices, restaurants, cafes and other public places, posing a threat to privacy.”
To combat this problem, intelligence services and cybercriminals have traditionally connected cameras to video surveillance systems and video intercoms, but wireless networks have an important advantage – they are invisible and do not arouse suspicion. To protect people from surveillance, researchers recommend implementing privacy protections into the technology itself based on the standard, specifically the version of IEEE 802.11bf currently under development.
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