Windows 8 picture password

Windows 8 picture password

The picture password feature allows Windows 8 users to select their own personal picture and sketch three different patterns over the picture to login. The new authentication system makes it easier for tablet and touch users to login to a Windows 8 PC. Microsoft filed a patent for the feature in February, 2008. The feature works by dividing the image into a grid. The result allows Windows 8 users to pick a photo and draw gestures over it to sign-in to their account. Gestures can include lines, circles and taps. Microsoft considered the amount of gestures required by analysing the different combinations required to create a secure environment.

Picture password is provided as a login mechanism in addition to your text password, not as a replacement for it. The software maker assessed a variety of methods to obtain the PIN or picture password sequence on a clean screen with only the gestures visible via smudging. The number of ways for ordering a 4 digit PIN is 24 according to Microsoft, if an attacker is able to see where all four smudges are present on the screen. This is improved to 48 combinations based on line and circle gestures.