A harmless, regular digital camera can be used to steal one's information, particularly their fingerprints. This is what Chaos Computer Club member Jan Krissler shared last Saturday at a conference.

Krissler further explained how the method is done. A commercially available software, VeriFinger, makes the almost impossible feat doable. He demonstrated the process and created a digital copy of Ursula von der Leyen's (German Federal Minister of Defense) fingerprint at the Chaos Communication Congress (31C3).

"I have tried it with my own finger under similar circumstances (same camera, same distance)," Krissler told CNET.

Krissler, also known as Starbug online, went on to say that politicians will start wearing gloves after hearing about the latest hacking technique.

The technique, however, will be more elaborate if a hacker is trying to get private information such as bank details. But fast forward into the future, where people are likely to unlock their cars or homes with a touch of a finger, is when things will get more interesting.

The goal of Krissler's revelation was to question the use of fingerprint scanners as a form of security. Many companies as well as local government agencies use fingerprint scanners to allow access to a particular office.

When it comes to gadgets, top players Apple and Samsung have also utilized fingerprint readers that smartphone users tap onto to unlock their gadgets. The fingerprint reader has replaced the elaborate password key-in as a form of security measure.

"In the past years, it was successfully demonstrated a number of times how easily fingerprints can be stolen from its owner if a person touched any object with a polished surface (like a glass or a smartphone)," Krissler said.

After Apple launched iPhone 5s last year, Chaos Computer Club also demonstrated how one can unlock the sophisticated smartphone using a fake fingerprint. The group has further proven their point with this latest revelation.

"This demonstrates-again-that fingerprint biometrics is unsuitable as [an] access control method and should be avoided," the hacker group told the press last year.

After iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s were launched, the vulnerability still appears to be present.