Secure Image Based Multi-Factor Authentication (SIMFA): a novel approach for web based services

Abstract

Authentication is the entry point for any network including internet for accessing resources on the server. Since last few years there has been an increasing focus on strengthening the authentication methods to ensure utmost safety of web based accounts. Strengthening the authentication includes the proper level of assurances of security at client, transmission channel and server, besides offering strong password methods to web users. As Two- Factor Authentication is supposed to provide the required security, many researchers focused their attention in this area. Hence, many Two-Factor Authentication Schemes using Biometrics and Smart Cards are proposed. Since Smart Card solutions are simpler and efficient than Biometrics, various Smart Card-based Authentication Schemes are proposed that do not require verifier table at the server. But the Smart Card based Schemes require Textual-Passwords as second factor for web accounts, which often leads to password memorability issues if a user has multiple web accounts requiring him to remember various passwords. Therefore, in such cases, for easy recall of passwords, the user either sets same password for all his accounts or writes all the passwords on a piece of paper to recollect easily at login. This practice often leads to compromise of accounts. To overcome the memorability issues, researchers have devised various memorable password methods, of which, an innovative one is ‘graphical password’, where image is used as password instead of text.