Pictures As Passwords
from the tell-a-story-with-your-password dept
The idea of using picture images as passwords is not new. It's been talked about for years and even Microsoft is experimenting with the idea. In the past, I've trashed the idea, thinking that it would actually be more difficult for some people to remember. One company that makes image-password technology argues that this isn't true. Their system is a little different than some of the others I've read about. They basically show a bunch of different images, and you need to select each one in your password in the proper sequence. They say people find it easy to remember, because they make up a story to go along with the sequence. Of course, wouldn't that also make it easier for anyone spying on you to remember your password as well? I'm not sure how this is any more secure.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
I hope they don't have a patent
Any password that involves you moving a cursor around on a screen is easily surpassable by anybody within visual range, and that includes via security camera.
Maybe if they put the pictures in a 3x3 grid that corresponded to the 1-9 keys on the keypad, but even at that it's still easily 'readable' by anyone who cares enough to try. People can read your PIN numbers at ATM machines from 10+ feet away, so this shouldn't be any more difficult.
This is one of those things that sounds good, looks pretty, but is fairly useless. At least in my humble opinion...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: I hope they don't have a patent
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: I hope they don't have a patent
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
password incorrect:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Password images
i 'registered' my passface (read password)
about 18 months ago
just tried to login and guess what i did!
ie: i remembered my 5 passfaces easily!
now no password is that easy to 'remember'
read the science.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]