Comparing the usability of Doodle and Mikon images to be used as authenticators in graphical authentication systems

Abstract

Recognition-based graphical authentication systems rely on the recognition of authenticator images by legitimate users for authentication. This paper presents the results of a study that compared Doodle images and Mikon images as authenticators in recognition based graphical authentication systems taking various usability dimensions into account. The results of the usability evaluation, with 20 participants, demonstrated that users preferred Mikon to Doodle images as authenticators in recognition based graphical authentication mechanisms. Furthermore, participants found it difficult to recognize Doodle images during authentication as well as associate them with something meaningful. Our findings also show the need to consider the security offered by the images, especially their predictability.