Introduction
Have you ever worried about someone watching you enter your password on a keypad? Whether at an ATM, a building entrance, or your own smart lock keypad, prying eyes are everywhere. Virtual Password technology (also called obfuscated password or fake code entry) is designed specifically to solve this problem.
What Is Virtual Password Technology
Core Definition
A virtual password is a fraud-resistant entry method where the user enters a string of digits containing the real password embedded within a longer random sequence. For example, if your real code is 123456, you might enter 98212345637 or 0012345600. An observer watching the keypad has no way to determine which digits form the actual code.
Why Standard Passwords Are Vulnerable
Traditional password entry exposes your entire code in one sequence. If someone watches you enter 1234, they now have full access. This vulnerability is especially concerning for smart locks near building entrances where strangers can observe without appearing suspicious.
How FEOCEY Implements Virtual Password
FEOCEY smart locks support virtual password entry through the FEOCEY Home App. Users can enable a setting to add up to 20 random digits before and after their real access code. The lock recognizes the complete sequence and grants access as long as the real code appears contiguously within the entered string.
Setup Steps
- Open FEOCEY Home App and navigate to Access Codes
- Select the user and enable Virtual Password mode
- Enter your desired 4-8 digit real code
- The app will generate a suggested random prefix and suffix
- Share the full sequence with the user (e.g., 729381234756)
Real-World Attack Scenarios Virtual Password Prevents
Shoulder Surfing
An observer stands behind you at a building entrance and watches you enter your code. With a standard code, they now have full access. With a virtual password, the observed sequence contains many extra digits they cannot filter.
Camera-Based Recording
A security camera mounted above a keypad records all entries. Even with video footage, an attacker cannot identify which digits constitute the real code within a longer random string.
Social Engineering
A courier or visitor asks a resident to “just enter your code so I can verify it works.” With a virtual password, the resident can enter the full sequence without revealing the actual code digits.
Limitations
Virtual password does not protect against malware on the phone controlling the lock, physical keyloggers embedded in keypad hardware, or man-in-the-middle attacks on Wi-Fi. FEOCEY’s end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication provide additional layers of protection for these scenarios.
Conclusion
Virtual password technology is a simple but powerful addition to your smart lock’s security arsenal. It requires zero hardware modification, works alongside your existing access codes, and makes shoulder surfing attacks practically ineffective. FEOCEY includes this feature as standard across all smart lock models.