The factors affect user behaviour in a picture-based user authentication system: PixelPin

Abstract

Nowadays alphanumeric passwords are still widely used, even though it causes the well-known 'password problem'. There are a lot of studies on alternative user authentication schemes which try to take place of the textual password. PixelPin is one of the picture-based authentication systems, which are base on Blonder's patent (Graphical Passwords. United States Patent 55599611996). This paper is the report on our evaluation of the PixelPin by conducting four experiments. In specific, we summarized the issues of PixelPin's usability and security via web-based user study and focus group. We also tried to understand users' choice of picture and the way of their memorization of the click-points. A cursor effect was studies in the last experiment. Finally, some issues are proposed to be solved in the future work. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.