MIBA: multitouch image-based authentication on smartphones

Abstract

Graphical password schemes can provide better usability than text passwords, especially on smartphones where typing complex passwords on a virtual keyboard can be tedious. However, in order to achieve password strength comparable to text passwords, graphical password schemes require multiple rounds and, therefore, have longer entry times. We propose MIBA as an image-based authentication method that leverages multitouch in order to increase the password space by supporting multiple fingers for click point selection. We outline the MIBA concept, report on practical constraints for multitouch click point selection, and discuss preliminary results that indicate short entry times and the usability of MIBA.