Thursday, August 4, 2011

Graphical Password: An Easy-to-remember and Safe Authentication

Have you ever heard about graphical password? Well, if you have ever been careful about the Windows 8 rumors and news, I believe you’ll not be unfamiliar with it. It’s said that there are two ways available when you log on to the upcoming operating system: traditional text password and graphical codes.
Here comes the problem: what is a graphical password?   According to Wiki, graphical passwords are an alternative means of authentication for log-in intended to be used in place of conventional password; they use images, graphics or colors instead of letters, digits or special characters.
One system requires users to select a series of faces as a password, utilizing the human brain's ability to recall faces easily. In some implementations the user is required to pick from a series of images in the correct sequence in order to gain access. Another graphical password solution creates a one-time password using a randomly-generated grid of images.
When it comes to Windows 8, the users can custom their own logon password in a 4X4 array picture. If a device of touch screen is in use, users can logon directly with touch on it. Besides, windows 8 users can also choose a picture on computer to set the password after entering the operating system. So if you forgot Windows 8 password composed of letters, numbers and symbols, you can simply
Compared with the traditional text passwords, graphical passwords are easier for most people to remember as people are able easily to remember faces of people, places we visited, and things we have seen.  It is an ideal alternative option if you have difficulty in making passwords that are simple enough to remember but complex enough that they can't be guessed. It’s also an ideal option if you forgot Windows 8 password consisting of numbers, letters and symbols.
Besides, graphical passwords may offer better security than text-based passwords. It’s believed that it is more difficult to break graphical passwords using the traditional attack methods like brute force search, dictionary attack, and spyware, though very little research has been done to study the difficulty of cracking graphical passwords as graphical passwords are not widely used in practice.
Windows 8 will due in 2012. You’ll learn more about this newly graphical password in that time.

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