Keeping our online accounts secure means using a long and complex password or multi-factor authentication. Researchers at Plymouth University have devised an easy to remember password-free login system called GOTPass. To set-up the system the first time, users need to draw a pattern on a 4×4 grid similar to Android’s unlock method. Next, the user will be presented with grids of ’emoji’ type images and after choosing 4 the user has finished set-up. In order to login the user draws their initial pattern, and then the user is presented with 16 images to pick from, among which two images are from the ones they initially picked during set-up. Once this setup is completed, a one-time passcode is generated which allows the user access.
Although this system might sound complicated, the process would take a similar time to inputting a simple password. In terms of safety, the researchers tried hacking into accounts 690 times, with only 23 successes.