ISU Gets $500,000 Grant to Improve Computer Security by Studying 'Keyboarding Signatures'

From Iowa State University news release:

AMES, IA – University computer engineers are working to enhance computer security by measuring the pauses users take when typing short sentences, replying to emails, and browsing web pages.

Morris Chang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Chris Chong-Nuen Chu, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Ahmed Kamal, professor, electrical and computer engineering; and Stephen Gilbert, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering; are developing a testing system to identify individual computer users based on the pauses they take while performing routine tasks.

Their work, funded by a $500,000 research grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, could provide an additional level of security for computer users dealing with sensitive information.

According to Chang, the project’s principal investigator, previous research has demonstrated that keystroke interval times can enhance user authentication during password entry.

“The long pauses we take between typing characters, or between complex words, are unique enough to distinguish different individuals,” he explains. “Essentially, your typing style can identify you just asaccurately as your handwritten signature.”

Chang’s project includes creating an Interactive Cognitive Analysis System to sample the processing time of 3,000 participants at Iowa State. Their data will beused identify the most valid characteristics for continuous authentication, and to detect unauthorized users in a testing environment.

“Individual processing time is determined by a variety of cognitive characteristics, including their experiences, knowledge, genes, and other factors,” Chang says. “By treating these characteristics as biometrics, we can develop security systems that ensure computers with sensitive information are only accessed by appropriate users.”

About Iowa State’s College of Engineering

The College of Engineering at Iowa State University is dedicated to educating tomorrow’s engineers and conducting research that addresses today’s greatest challenges. True to our land-grant legacy, we emphasize service to the community—locally and globally—and strive to use technology to make a difference in the world.