Elastic password authentication scheme using the Passcell-based virtual scroll wheel

Abstract

User authentication such as password setting has become increasingly important for the secure management of the information stored in mobile devices. However, in the password authentication schemes used in mobile devices, enhancing security reduces their usability, and passwords become hard to memorize. In addition, enhancing their usability makes them vulnerable to shoulder-surfing or recording attacks involving stealing a glance at the authentication process through the system interface. In this paper, we propose a password authentication scheme that uses a virtual scroll wheel, called WheelLock, to ensure appropriate usability and prevent brute force, shoulder-surfing, and recording attacks.

Keywords:

• usable security
• shoulder-surfing attack
• knowledge-based password
• hybrid password authentication
• mobile devices

2010 AMS Subject Classifications:

• 94A62
• 97P70
• 68U35
• 97R70
• 60C05

Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by a grant from the KEIT funded by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (10039180).