Internet user behavior could be used as a secure way to identify users and log them into computers and smartphones, thanks to work by researchers at the University of Oxford - who claim they can also detect when someone is drunk or has had sex..
As reported in a relevant article by the Guardian, researchers found that each person creates a pattern of physical behavior, which includes the speed at which they type, how they move a mouse or how they hold a phone. Specifically, according to the researchers, there are 500 different behaviors that are unique to each person, and all of them make up the so-called “eDNA” (electronically Defined Natural Attributes - physical characteristics that “translate” into the way they interact with electronic devices). Possible changes in these behaviors can indicate when someone has used drugs, had sex or may be at risk of heart attack within a three-month period.
“Electronic DNA allows us to see a lot more information about you,” says Adrian Neil, who developed the technology while doing his MSc at the university and is now chief executive of Oxford BioChronometrics. “Like DNA it’s almost impossible to fake, as it’s very difficult to be online and not be yourself. It’s as big a leap in terms of the amount of information that can be collected about a person as the leap from fingerprints to DNA. It’s such a big leap.”.
Oxford BioChronometrics is a university startup that aims to commercialize the technology. Neil adds, “It’s easy to tell when someone has used drugs with this technology. But that would put us in a difficult position, so it’s better not to do it. We just want to collect data to make sure that ‘X’ is who he says he is.” He argues that eDNA will eventually be used to log in to desktop computers and mobile devices, confirming the identity of users.
According to David Shekel, president of Oxford BioChronometrics, eDNA will also be able to indicate whether a click on an ad or a website comes from an automated program (bot) or from a real user. It is worth noting that according to the company's own research, 90-92% of ad clicks and 95% of logins come from bots. Its first product, NoMoreCaptchas, which prevents bots from registering and logging in, has already been made available to about 700 companies.
According to Neil, a former cryptographer, the eDNA program has its roots in decades of research into biometrics, which can be used for button presses or mouse movements, but until recently it was not believed to provide sufficient levels of security for logins. That is changing, thanks to the rise of computing power and the ability to collect large amounts of data from users, which have allowed researchers to identify much more complex and broad patterns of user interaction with their devices.
Source: planet-greece.blogspot.com
