Posting peace sign selfies on social media is potentially dangerous for your online security, so you might want to find a new signature pose

If your teenage self still has a MySpace profile out there somewhere, the chances are more likely than not that a photo of yourself making a “peace sign” with your fingers exists – but new research says that seemingly innocent peace sign selfie pose could be dangerous. 

The majority of us have all struck the iconic pose for a photo as some point in our life, but researchers say it can actually cause some pretty significant security risks.

Scientists with Japan’s National Institute of Informatics (NII) say that potential identity thieves can actually read your fingerprints from up to nine feet away.

That means if your pointer and middle fingers are exposed to the camera (and in focus) it’s not that hard for someone to steal your identity.

"Just by casually making a peace sign in front of a camera, fingerprints can become widely available," researcher Isao Echizen said.

Fingerprints are used more and more frequently as security measures in tech, including to get into smartphones and bank account apps, so Echizen says keeping your prints off the internet should be a priority.

Maybe it’s time to take down a photo or two off of social media. You can never be too careful.