Abstract:
Authentication is necessary for providing access to required information to the authorized user. User authentication has become an important and central component of present day security measures.
In the present thesis, different authentication systems in use are analyzed with reference to their merits and demerits. Thrust• is on the knowledge based authentication systems as most of the security systems are based on the concept of knowledge based authentication.
A case of UNIX operating system is included, as this operating system uses knowledge based authentication and is considered one of the most secure systems. Various arrangements and developments in this operating system for authentication, since its inception, are discussed in detail. Further the weaknesses and drawbacks of the knowledge based authentication system are explored.
Image/graphics based password can offer an alternative of text based password because of their inherent properties such as large volume of information. A change in image parameter generates exponentially large sets of possible password combinations, to be guessed.
A solution using graphical password authentication system is proposed based on the analysis. The solution proposed suggests how the information contained in the images, which is unique for different images, could be very well used for generating and retrieving a secure, unique and memorable passwords.
