For a More-Secure Password, Watch How You Type

A text password – no matter how many times you change it or how many illogical symbols you incorporate into it – is always going have some inherent weaknesses: It can be stolen via keystroke software, broken into by password-recovery programs, and it can fall into the wrong hands if written down or shared with a co-worker.

All of this drives IT managers crazy, which has driven a movement toward two-factor authentication in logical access control. A group of researchers at the American University in Beirut have come up with an unusual biometric that could be used as for that second factor: your typing pattern.

That’s right. The process, called key-pattern analysis, records timing with which a user types in his password and then compares that template to the timing every person uses when trying to gain access to the digital asset. Upon enrollment, a user has to type the password in several times, to allow for all the variations possible.

The field of key-pattern analysis has actually been around for a few decades, but this research from the American University in Beirut, advances it into the realm of the useable. Previous researchers had failed to take into account the fact that quick typists sometimes press more than one key at a time. As such, this effort at producing an effective key-pattern analysis authenticator looked at the length of time for which a user presses the key, which the researchers say gives a better – and more robust – picture of typing patterns.

One of the study’s authors, Ravel Jabbour, points out that, as key-pattern analysis doesn’t require any extra equipment, it is much less costly than solutions that require extra equipment, such as a card reader, at every work station. And, Jabbour said, key-pattern analysis programs should work almost as well as sophisticated biometrics, such as iris or fingerprint scans. “If the profile building phase is conducted with care, there should be no real problem with key-pattern analysis,” he said.

About the Author

Laura Williams is content development editor for Security Products magazine.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.