My Thoughts Are My Password, Verify Me

from the better-security-through-thinking? dept

It seems that every few months a story pops up about advances in mind-controlled computer interfaces. It's important research in many ways, especially for people who have been paralyzed. However, it's clearly only at the earliest stages -- and some question if it will ever get that much further. Wired News is looking at the possibility of one day being able to use your thoughts as your password for better security. The idea being that the computer would recognize your specific brainwaves, that couldn't easily be copied by someone else. Some people believe this will never happen, as distinguishing on that fine a level of brainwaves might be impossible. However, even if it was possible, you have to wonder how effective it would be. It could work for normal logging in... but how does it work when you don't want to log in, but someone else wants you to? Ever try to not think about a certain thing? Our brains aren't really wired that way.
Hide this

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


  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2006 @ 7:38am

    Easily defeated ---

    Just think about sex to login, since that's what everyone's always thinking about...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Brian, 27 Apr 2006 @ 7:42am

    simple if you don't want it to read your brain waves.....Wear a tin foil hat!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2006 @ 8:15am

    What if I'm wasted?

    I don't know if inebriation affects brain waves, it certainly affects thought. Can I still log in to my computer after I've drank six margaritas?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DittoBox, 27 Apr 2006 @ 8:52am

      Re: What if I'm wasted?

      Welcome to Windows Vista, $USER! We're sorry but we cannot accurately detect your brain waves right now, it appears that you're not just wasted but totally smashed.

      I'll start the coffee maker for you $USER.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Jacob, 27 Apr 2006 @ 9:26am

      Re: What if I'm wasted?

      Ah ha! This will mark the end of the drunken myspace update!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pedren, 27 Apr 2006 @ 8:21am

    Tin foil vs Duct-tape

    Tin foil wouldn't work it'd have to be duct-tape.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    koan, 27 Apr 2006 @ 8:58am

    a 'sneakers' reference?

    ...in this day and age? huzzah!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    lizard, 27 Apr 2006 @ 9:13am

    drunken brainwaves

    i've often wished my email client had a breathalyzer plugin -- but this would work.

    "error logging in :: that email you're thinking of sending is a really, really bad idea"

    (and i second the huzzah to the sneakers reference!)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Faz, 27 Apr 2006 @ 9:13am

    -- I am sorry, you suffer from amnesia. GoodBye ---

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Stiffly Stifferson, 27 Apr 2006 @ 9:42am

    Good point about trying not to think about something. It's almost impossible.


    Quickly, don't picture your grandmother generously applying feminine itch cream to her dry heap of a vagina.


    See? It doesn't work.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ira Machefsky, 27 Apr 2006 @ 10:09am

    This is just silly

    This is just a silly idea. Biometric systems using explicit physical attributes, like plam prints, finger prints or voice prints, have a hard enough time working today. If you could recognize thought waves, you'd have long ago solved the traditional biometric authentication problem, which should be good enough even for government work.

    Regards,
    Ira

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Cedar, 27 Apr 2006 @ 11:16am

    In related news: Zombies prove that hacking passwords is as each as Muuuuh *Chomp*

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    fishbane, 27 Apr 2006 @ 11:58am

    If a machine can detect something, a machine can record and replay it.

    Every biometric system has to deal with replay and MITM attacks if it wants to be considered secure.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward #2, 27 Apr 2006 @ 12:30pm

    Brainwaves

    Mine are kind of confused when I'm logging in to my computer... my password might never be the same twice!

    I'll just have to live with the fingerprint scanner embedded in my laptop.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 27 Apr 2006 @ 3:29pm

    only passwords?

    Once we can read brainwaves and translate them into thoughts for passwords, can't we *any* brainwaves and translate them into thoughts?

    Mind readers... sounds far fetched when even current biometrics don't work efectively.

    I'm donning my tin foil hat anyhow, I don't want the government to learn of my plans to take over the world.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    qw1j1b0, 27 Apr 2006 @ 6:00pm

    So in the past the KGB just cut off my thumb to get past biometrics, now they have to cut out my brain... no thanks.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    [m]YSELF, 27 Apr 2006 @ 7:14pm

    My password is...

    What if I forget what I was thinking about the moment I created the password for the first time?

    Think about the new Spywaves and thoughtsloggers... Nice future for the unborn Windows Vista 2008.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2007 @ 5:33pm

    wtf i can't verify my fucking myspace e-mail

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      jessica, 20 Mar 2007 @ 9:03pm

      Re: myspace

      i caint add people and sent them as message i really need help please help me i try anything but it wont work it just says VEREFY YOU EMAIL and that is getting on my nerves

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mousie, 13 Apr 2007 @ 10:41am

    vertify email

    help me vertify my email address

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    shiela, 18 Apr 2007 @ 5:32am

    vertify email add

    how can i vertify help me..

    link to this | view in chronology ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.