Usability and security of recognition-based textual password
type: CreativeWork
description: Knowledge-based passwords are still the most dominant authentication technique for authentications purposes, in spite of the emergence of alternative systems such as token-based and biometric systems. This approach has remained the most popular one mostly because of its user familiarity, compatibility, usability, affordability. Nevertheless, the main challenge of knowledge-based password schemes based on creating passwords that deliver a balance between usability and security. This dissertation will be focused on the recent researches related to textual and graphical password to have an overview of their usability and security features and drawbacks. The literature review of this dissertation studied the main challenges of textual password schemes (text-based, passphrase, mnemonic, pronounceable, persuasive-text passwords). These schemes have several issues such as memorization, password complexity, password resets, input errors, password reuse and strength against guessing attack. On the other hand, graphical password schemes (recognition, recall, and hybrid passwords) improve the memorability compared to textual password because user experience with interacting with images result in better memorability rate. Graphical passwords have their own issues which are require a huge storage space(costly), complex setup and enrollment, long time to log in, limited password space, and vulnerability to shoulder surfing attack. After a deep investigation done in the literature review, this dissertation will have a thoughtful examination related the major features and drawbacks of recognition-based textual passwords because it provides the usability and security benefits of graphical passwords with the familiarity of textual passwords. Also, this dissertation studied the recognition textual password and its types to have a clear vision to build a usable and secure authentication system. This approach is categorized into two main aspects user and system generated method. Previou…
abstract: Knowledge-based passwords are still the most dominant authentication technique for authentications purposes, in spite of the emergence of alternative systems such as token-based and biometric systems. This approach has remained the most popular one mostly because of its user familiarity, compatibility, usability, affordability. Nevertheless, the main challenge of knowledge-based password schemes based on creating passwords that deliver a balance between usability and security. This dissertation will be focused on the recent researches related to textual and graphical password to have an overview of their usability and security features and drawbacks. The literature review of this dissertation studied the main challenges of textual password schemes (text-based, passphrase, mnemonic, pronounceable, persuasive-text passwords). These schemes have several issues such as memorization, password complexity, password resets, input errors, password reuse and strength against guessing attack. On the other hand, graphical password schemes (recognition, recall, and hybrid passwords) improve the memorability compared to textual password because user experience with interacting with images result in better memorability rate. Graphical passwords have their own issues which are require a huge storage space(costly), complex setup and enrollment, long time to log in, limited password space, and vulnerability to shoulder surfing attack. After a deep investigation done in the literature review, this dissertation will have a thoughtful examination related the major features and drawbacks of recognition-based textual passwords because it provides the usability and security benefits of graphical passwords with the familiarity of textual passwords. Also, this dissertation studied the recognition textual password and its types to have a clear vision to build a usable and secure authentication system. This approach is categorized into two main aspects user and system generated method. Previou…
author: Wasfi, Hassan Mohammed
language: en
date published: 2024-08
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:39:19Z
provider: Iowa State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Iowa State University

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.31274/td-20250502-268