cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/51171467

Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology demonstrated BFId, a Wi-Fi identity-inference attack that uses Beamforming Feedback Information (BFI) to identify people based on how their bodies alter radio signals. The study involved 197 participants and reported 99.5% identification accuracy across different perspectives and walking styles. Wi-Fi sensing isn’t just a research concept anymore. Verizon already offers Wi-Fi Motion Sensing through its Home Router/Hub, using Wi-Fi signals to detect motion in a home without requiring cameras or dedicated motion sensors. That doesn’t mean Verizon’s consumer feature is identifying people like BFId does. The technologies and purposes are different. But it shows how Wi-Fi is increasingly being used as a sensing layer, not just for connectivity.