(Bastard Hand, a new user authentication software)
V1.0 bêta 1
THE DOCUMENTATION
(Bastard Hand, a new user authentication software)
V1.0 bêta 1
THE DOCUMENTATION
Paris 02- 20- 99, 15:43 GMT
e-mail to - Kubernan -
BHandCatch is one component of my project called BHand (Bastard Hand).
BHand is a new user authentication software.
Why BHand is a new user authentication software ? Because it doesn't use a password.
BHand recognizes your keyboard typing style. In order to that, this software includes two components. The first one, called BHandCatch (this screenshot), is an user interface where you have to give some samples (i.e. patterns) of your typing style and some samples of other people's typing styles (called "impostors").
The second component, called simply BHand, is the user authentication panel itself. Using the results of the first step, BHand rejects or accepts the user.
Today, only the first component (BHandCatch) exists.
What does "..it learns to recognize..." mean ? Behind BHand, there is a neural network. This is a special program that its structure is based on some characteristics of our brain. Neural networks are used today for speech or handwritten recognition.
In the beginning, a neural network can do nothing. It needs to learn something. This is the learning phase.
With BHand, the learning phase consists in to give the neural network some samples of your typing style and some samples of impostors typing style. This is the goal of BHandCatch component.
During the learning phase, the neural network "sets up" its internal state. When it's done, it should be able to reject all people but you during each sign on..
In short, BHandCatch is a small program used for training a neural network to recognize your typing style and testing it. This is not the user authentication program itself.
BUT...what happens if I lose one of my hands ? (or what happens if i'm completely drunk ?). BHand gives a high level of security : in normal use, it recognizes you about 95% of time and rejects other users each time. If you lose one of your hands, BHand won't give the access. If you are drunk, maybe BHand will recognize you at about 50%.
As you can give a password to other people, you can train BHand to recognize two people (or more). If you find it impossible to gain access using BHand, the other people can help you. The difference from the use of a password is the impossibility to authorize other people once the BHandCatch phase is done.
There's another difference from the use of a password. The data created when you use BHandCatch or BHand are unusable ! You can copy these data, but you can't use them to imitate an user.
The first full BHand package will secure the access of BeOS. I would secure folders and files but there are no means for that in BeOS. In the future, BHand could be a really good solution for filtering access to the Net...
Launch BhandCatch and follow the instructions.
Requirement : Braininabox V1.2 (includes in BHandCatch package).
1-BHandCatch accepts all people !!
2-Will I lose the result of learning phase if I quit BHandatch ?
3-How to delete my last learning phase ?
4-Can I quit BHandCatch even if the learning phase is not finished ?
1- Are you sure you give both yours and imposters patterns in the same learning phase ? The neural network needs to know how to detect an impostor, that's why after adding your patterns, you have to ask someone else to enter the word or sentence chosen (adding an 'X' in "impostor" check box). Only after this, launch the learning phase clicking "Execute".
2- Nope. The result of learning phase is not the property of BHandCatch. This is the property of the neural network. The internal state of the neural network resulting of the learning phase is stored in a special file. If you quit BHandCatch and launch it again for a test, the neural network will find the appropriate file.
3- Executing a new learning phase.
4- You can. When Braininabox receives the parameters from BHandCatch (when you click "Execute") it can continue alone.
All feedbacks to kubernan@worldnet.fr are welcome.