An ATM is a quick and convenient way to get cash, but it’s not always the safest way.
As technology advances, we see more and more sophisticated ways that thieves use to hack these devices and thus gain access to the passwords entered by users.
For this reason, a group of researchers from Canada and Switzerland has proposed a system that makes it possible to manufacture ultra-secure ATMs.
For this, scientists relied on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Its goal is to replace the PIN with a kind of mind game that allows the ATM to verify that the user is, in fact, the owner of the account accessing it.
For this, the scientists chose the trichromatic susceptibility test, a hard-to-solve mathematical problem that theorists have studied for many years.
This problem raises the question: How do you color a huge shape map in three degrees so that the same colors never touch?
The scientists propose to introduce this concept to the cashiers and propose to give all users a device that contains a unique color map with a pre-programmed tri-color solution.
How will it work?
To withdraw money, the device will be connected to an external port of the ATM, which in this case will act as a validator.
The machine will consult the user’s device and despite the complexity of the three colors, the device can respond instantly because it is programmed to do so.
Finally, the cashier will verify the identity and hand over the money thanks to the correct responses from the user’s device.
Scientists also suggest using two devices to increase the level of security based on the tricolor maps.
“The basic idea is exactly the same as that of a police officer who investigates and asks two separate questions to two suspects in different rooms so that they cannot communicate,” the investigators explained.
“If they tell the same version of the story, that’s a good indication that they’re telling the truth.”
According to experts, the reason why devices can’t communicate is based on Einstein’s theory of special relativity, which in other respects limits the speed at which information travels.
With special relativity, the authors add, “it seems entirely reasonable to believe in this non-computational but materialistic assumption that information cannot travel faster than the speed of light.”
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