One ISU professor has unveiled research into computer security and alternatives to password-protected technology.

Morris Chang, associate professor of computer and electrical engineering, and his team of faculty and students are excited to reveal their study revolving around the concept of “active authentication.” Chang explains how this project was instilled and what will be analyzed within this new concept.

“This is a project funded by the [U.S.] Department of Defense,” Chang said. “The objective of this research is to authenticate the user through their aggregated computer access. That involves their typing behavior, their web browsing behavior and even the way they use the mouse.” 

Chang and his team are hopeful that what can be acquired through active authentication can serve as an alternative to the role passwords serve today.

With computer and Internet hacking becoming more prevalent, active authentication could not only replace the myriad of passwords users are forced to remember but also be a major boon for computer security.

To gather data and test this process, his team is calling to action members of the ISU community. To achieve a legitimate sample size, Chang’s team is seeking out 2,500 ISU members, both student and staff; basically “anyone with an Iowa State Net ID,” said Chris Chu, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

To take part, participants are instructed to visit a website with a link to the study. From there, instructions are provided to guide the participant through what will be, on average, two 30-minute segments.

In this time, the participant will be asked to answer short questions, edit documents and wade through other simple tasks in order to aggregate their computing tendencies.

It is requested of the participant to leave at least a 12-hour gap between segments. 

The duration of the gap can be longer than 12 hours and is solely dependent on the convenience of the participant. Participants also have the freedom to use their own computers, allowing for greater convenience.

Chu and his research team are also considering problems that might come with this new technology.

One possible scenario is that many users may not use a computer regularly, possibly disallowing them to develop telltale computing distinctions that would identify them as the authentic user of a specific device.

Doug Jacobson, university professor of computer and electrical engineering and head of the ISU student cyber defense competition, mentions how outside factors, such as a “football game going on in the background,” could confound one’s tendencies. 

This follows the notion that one’s tendencies may follow one pattern when they are fully focused on their computing and another pattern when they are multi-tasking.

Jacobson is optimistic, however, in this project’s potential.

“I think if it can work with a very high degree of accuracy and very low overhead to the users and to the system administrators it has the potential of making a big impact,” Jacobson said.