TapSongs: Tapping Rhythm-Based Passwords on a Single Binary Sensor

Summary:
This paper discussed user authentication based on a binary receptor and tapped rhythms as opposed to textual passwords. It discussed some benefits of a system such as this like not needing any screen or keypad to enter in the information. Instead you would only need a binary receptor such as a button or switch. It was mostly focused on the implementation of a tapped rhythm. Through the author's study a small jingle's rhythm such as Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits could be used as a password for logging into a system. In order for a user to do this they would need to select a jingle or compose their own, practice it so that a model can be created, and then the user could enter the rhythm for log in. They also had a way for the model to adapt with each entry so that it became more accurate to the individual. In their testing users were able to log in successfully 83.2% of the time. The paper also discussed a user study that tested eavesdropping and password theft and the ability of the impostor to log in. In both cases the results were small, approximately ten percent in the first case and nineteen in the second.

Discussion:
This paper was pretty interesting. I haven't ever considered other methods of authentication but this one is pretty interesting. I myself often tap rhythms to songs I hear or play in my head and to move that into a log in scenario is pretty neat. I liked that their study had an adaptation technique so that it became customized to the users input so that it more accurately matched the model to them. I also like the simplicity of the binary receptor, and that password theft would be very different in this case. I think technology such as this could easily be moved to many things we use today such as safeguarding a portable external hard drive by having a small button on the side that served as an authentication means.