AudioAuth: Exploring the Design and Usability of a Sound-Based Authentication System

Abstract

In this paper, the authors describe a novel design alternative to the traditional PIN-based user authentication process, through the selection of a sequence of abstract sounds. The authors conducted two studies as part of the research. The first study examines a user's ability to discriminate between sounds based on the manipulation of various sound characteristics. Results highlighted the benefits of timbre and spatial positioning as differentiators. They also found manipulations of pitch, rhythm, and spatial position further compliment a capacity for discerning between sounds. Using findings from the first study, they conducted a second study, which examined the usability of a sound-based authentication interface, AudioAuth. Finally, the authors conducted retrospective interviews with study participants to investigate the potential applicability of AudioAuth design concepts in a mobile context. The authors' insights gained from the research, including methodological lessons, offer guidance to interface designers interested in exploiting the potential of abstract sounds to support the user authentication workflows.