New(?) idea for free open source software development

[Ingvald Straume (from Norway - Europe)]

Hi!

I'm a 32 years old novice to average programmer, and I have an idea
which I believe to be fairly good: An authentification system to
replace the old fashion password authentification method. The general
idea is that a user - using the computer mouse - draws his/her
signature onto a canvas on the login screen. The login program records,
from millisecond to millisecond, the mouse motions and the curve drawn
on the canvas by the user. Then the program compares the curve with an
already stored pattern which has been preadapted to match the authentic
users graphical mouse signature.

I believe that this method will have some advantages compared to the
traditional password security system:

1) A graphical mouse login and authentification system is safe: Even if
an intruder knows what the true user's signature looks like, he won't
be able to reproduce it, because that requires that the signature is
drawn in the true user's individual style and timing.

2) Users will no longer need to remember passwords.

A couple of years ago I wrote a demo-version ("beta 0.01 release") of
the program. (Unfortunately It's in MS Visual Basic, because that was
the tool available to me at the time of writing.) I will be happy to
submit both the program and the source code, if anyone might be
interested in discussing or colaborating on the idea.

sincerely
Ingvald Straume
Norway, Europe

[k***@gmail.com]

Hi Straume,

Even I feel that it is a very good idea and a new approach to
authentication. I agree that there are advantanges in favour of this
idea, as you have already listed. But it seems the disadvantages are
also prominent:

The user may not be able todraw the signature with the exact style and
timing because of variuos reasons like:
a) He uses a different mouse (maybe a laptop touchpad, or a optical
mouse, or a gaming device) than he used for registering his template
signature..
b) The screen resolution may be very different on a different
machine.. and this might cause alteration in the way he signs.

And to add to this, dont you think the user tends to feels insecure
with the fact that the signature itself being visible on the screen
when he authenticates?? This is in contrast with the normal password
scheme.. where the typed letters appear as stars or something which is
not visible!!

I am interested in discussion on the idea.. I can be reached at
keshavprasadhs at gmail dot com

regards,
Keshav