Researchers:
Professor Howard Chizeck (PI)
Junie Yan, Student, graduate student, electrical engineering
Mobile/On line transaction fraud from credit cards is over $10B annually, and existing authentication methods are not secure, and are easy to compromise. The new, forgery-proof Haptic Passwords method verifies your identity and secures on-line and mobile transactions. By taking advantage of the tremendous computing power inside new smart phones and tablets, it gives you access to your device by using information about how you make your signature, as well as how it looks. There is no PIN or alphanumeric password to remember, and unlike finger prints and face recognitions methods, it can’t easily be compromised. It works with either a pen or your finger. For on-line/mobile transactions, Haptic Passwords will stop transaction fraud. It is also useful for authentication of high value financial transactions.
The Haptic Password software in use.
Another exciting application of Haptic Passwords involves voting and petition tools, for on-site secure voter verification, on-line secure voter verification, new voter registration methods and security of the chain of custody of voting results, especially in developing countries. Haptic Passwords uses devices with force sensitive touch screens, such as newer smart phones and tablets. The force, velocity and position of the pen or finger on the screen is sampled and used, in combination with signal processing methods and machine learning, to uniquely represent each individual. After a short training session, the software verifies your identity when you physically enter your signatures. Even if the Haptic Password cloud data base were to be compromised, the system is still secure, since successful access requires your physical signature. Thus Haptic Passwords are very difficult to hack or replicate.