Behaviors of Unwarranted Password Identification via Shoulder-Surfing during Mobile Authentication

Abstract

Password-based mobile user authentication is vulnerable to shoulder-surfing. Despite the increasing research on user password entry behavior and mobile security, there is limited understanding of how an adversary identifies a password through shoulder-surfing during mobile authentication. This study empirically examines the behaviors and strategies of password identification through shoulder-surfing with multiple observation attempts and from different observation distances. The results of analyzing data collected from a user study reveal the strategies and dynamics of password identification behaviors. The findings have implications for enhancing users’ password security and improving the design of mobile authentication methods.