The things that make human beings unique – fingerprints, irises, facial features – have become the preferred way to sign onto banking accounts online or other sensitive websites, the newest solution to the problem of hackable and forgettable passwords.

But your fingerprints can be stolen, your photo replicated. Now cyber experts are looking at the next security step: cellphones and computers that actually recognize you from a variety of factors.

Your smartphone now gathers more information about you than you probably realize.

"It's amazing how many sensors there are on a modern-day smartphone. You have motion sensors, like an accelerometer, a gyroscope and magnetometer," said John Whaley, chief executive of UnifyID, a start-up that offers what it calls revolutionary authentication.

Then you have other sensors, such as GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. All told, an average smartphone has 10 or so sensors measuring precise details about location and user habits.