An Experimental Survey and Comparison of Proof by Knowledge Authentication Techniques

Abstract

“Proof by knowledge authentication techniques” include traditional text passwords, visual passwords and graphical passwords. The paper compares these three techniques using an experiment. A total of 100 users participated in the experiment. After getting informed about the new authentication methods, users created their own text, visual and graphical passwords. Then they tried to confirm them correctly and finally they answered in a comprehensive questionnaire that we have created. Analysing those data, we concluded that the text passwords that were created are predictable and very vulnerable to attacks. Visual passwords attracted users very much, especially those that are over 45 years old, although the passwords that they made are really easy to be cracked. Graphical passwords did not impress very much many of the users and especially men, at the beginning of the process. However, at the end they were characterized as a very friendly method, mostly from women. Furthermore, the created graphical passwords were difficult, memorable and above all very safe.