New (or is it old?) biometric technology: Handwriting recognition
University of Glasgow researchers develop handwriting-recognition access-control technology
Creating and managing accounts on the Internet is not easy, what with the many User IDs and passwords one has to remember. Some computers now come with different biometrics access technologies, mostly fingerprints or iris scans. Now there is a new — or is it old? — access-control technology: One’s own handwriting. University of Glasgow researchers led by Karen Renaud have developed an access control system they call Dynahand: With Dynahand, users simply identify their own handwriting, instead of entering a cryptic password or buying a biometric device to scan their fingerprints or retinas.
The good thing about Dynahand is that there is no need for additional hardware or enhanced computer memory: The user submits a variety of handwriting samples to open a Dynahand account, and to log on, all the user had to do is select his or her own handwriting from the list displayed.
The handwriting sample of the Dynahand account contains only digits, as its more difficult for an outsider to figure out numerals as compared to handwriting. As the digits are displayed in random order, the handwriting remains the only clue to the correct answer. Though Dynahand may not be advisable for sensitive information such as bank accounts or health records, there is little doubt that it will be welcomed for most other uses. Dynahand’s security could be enhanced, though, by keeping track of the time it takes a user to respond to each handwriting challenge and by watching out for abnormally long log-in times, which could signal an intruder trying to analyze the samples in search of the correct one, or abnormally short log-in times, which could signal an intruder trying to break in using a brute-force technique that involves a computer rapidly trying every possible response.
Here is an opportunity for clever technologists and savvy investors: The main hurdle in making Dynahand commercially acceptable is the creation of new accounts, which is tedious, time-consuming job, says Renaud.
