Systems Security Depends On A Face YouCan't Forget

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - (04/29/05) -- Rather than focus on a mix offorgettable number combinations or on fingerprint access and otherbiometric devices, one fledgling technology firm here hasintroduced a new method of authenticating a user for access toonline and other critical systems that's based on the mind'sability to remember and recognize faces. The Passfaces technologypatented by Real User Corp. is a cognitive method or personalauthentication which requires users to pick out a pre-chosen facefrom a line-up of nine faces in order to log on. To prevent usersfrom guessing their way on, the system can require a user to repeatthe process several times before allowing access. As well as beingeffectively 'unforgettable,' Passfaces codes cannot be easilywritten down or shared by a user and cannot be easily guessed by animposter. The system has been used by the U.S. Senate for the pastyear and several banks are studying its use.

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