ACM TechNews

Researchers Craft Multimedia Passwords

Techworld (08/14/08) Dunn, John E.

Canadian researchers have developed ObPwd, a new system that consumers can use to create secure passwords from images, MP3 files, or videos. With ObPwd (object-based password), consumers could use the picture of a cat to generate a sophisticated password that could not be cracked unless someone had access to the specific image or file used to generate the password. "Users keep a record [memorized or written] of a pointer to their content used in generating each password," writes Carleton University's Mohammad Mannan and P.C. van Oorschot in a public paper on the approach. "Users can write down the password in a secure place, or re-create it from the content when needed." They would need to remember the file used to create the password, rather than a string of text. A software version has been released in beta form as an add-on tool for Mozilla, and as a standalone Windows XP utility. However, files that are too large could slow down the generation process, and creating passwords from public material such as pictures on a Facebook page or common image files is not recommended.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/
149798/researchers_craft_mult imedia_passwords.html

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