Research on user authentication systems for mobile terminals that could counter the threats depending on usage situations

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26540055
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Information security
• Research Institution: The University of Electro-Communications
• Principal Investigator: Takada Tetsuji 電気通信大学, 大学院情報理工学研究科, 准教授 (70415701)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: User authentication / Usable security / Mobile system / Shoulder surfing attack

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since a mobile terminal is always carried and used in various situations, assumed threats in a use of the mobile terminal are also changed depending on the context. Therefore, a user authentication in mobile terminals, as a basic security function of them, should be flexible according to the situations and threats.
In this research，We worked on developing user authentication systems that could contribute to the above goal. The research results are as follows.
1) Image-based user authentication system that can flexibly configure a providable security level without changing a user credential, 2) a user authentication method with a time-limited password that is defined using a "time-period based rule" for life-log based data, 3) credential input schemes that could make it hard to steal a credential data by a shoulder surfing attack by using vibration information and pressure input, 4) Proposal a scheme of an availability control of a user authentication by users themselves.

Free Research Field

Usable Security, User authentication