YourPassword: applying feedback loops to improve security behavior of managing multiple passwords.
Journal
9th ACM Symposium on Information, Computer and Communications Security, ASIA CCS '14, Kyoto, Japan - June 03 - 06, 2014
Pages
513-518
Date Issued
2014
Author(s)
Kim, Tiffany Hyun-Jin
Stuart, H. Colleen
Hsiao, Hsu-Chun
Lin, Yue-Hsun
Zhang, Leon
Dabbish, Laura
Kiesler, Sara B.
Abstract
Various mechanisms exist to secure users' passwords, yet users continue to struggle with the complexity of multiple password management. We explore the effectiveness of a feedback loop to improve users' password management. We introduce YourPassword, a web-based application that uses feedback to inform users about the security of their password behavior. YourPassword has two main components: a password behavior checker that converts password strengths into numerical scores and a dashboard interface that visualizes users' overall password behavior and provides visual feedback in real time. YourPassword not only provides a total score on all passwords, but also visualizes when passwords are too similar to each other. To test the efficacy of YourPassword, we conducted a between-subjects experiment and think-aloud test with 48 participants. Participants either had access to YourPassword, an existing commercial password checker, or no password tool (control condition). YourPassword helped participants improve their password behavior as compared with the commercial tool or no tool.
Type
conference paper