Bleeding Edge

Bleeding Edge

by Mike Masnick




My Thoughts Are My Password, Verify Me

from the better-security-through-thinking? dept

It seems that every few months a story pops up about advances in mind-controlled computer interfaces. It's important research in many ways, especially for people who have been paralyzed. However, it's clearly only at the earliest stages -- and some question if it will ever get that much further. Wired News is looking at the possibility of one day being able to use your thoughts as your password for better security. The idea being that the computer would recognize your specific brainwaves, that couldn't easily be copied by someone else. Some people believe this will never happen, as distinguishing on that fine a level of brainwaves might be impossible. However, even if it was possible, you have to wonder how effective it would be. It could work for normal logging in... but how does it work when you don't want to log in, but someone else wants you to? Ever try to not think about a certain thing? Our brains aren't really wired that way.

26 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Apr 27th, 2006 @ 7:38am
  • Easily defeated ---

    by Anonymous Coward

    Just think about sex to login, since that's what everyone's always thinking about...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 7:42am
  • by Brian

    simple if you don't want it to read your brain waves.....Wear a tin foil hat!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 8:15am
  • What if I'm wasted?

    by Anonymous Coward

    I don't know if inebriation affects brain waves, it certainly affects thought. Can I still log in to my computer after I've drank six margaritas?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 8:52am
    • Re: What if I'm wasted?

      Welcome to Windows Vista, $USER! We're sorry but we cannot accurately detect your brain waves right now, it appears that you're not just wasted but totally smashed.

      I'll start the coffee maker for you $USER.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 9:26am
    • Re: What if I'm wasted?

      by Jacob

      Ah ha! This will mark the end of the drunken myspace update!

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Apr 27th, 2006 @ 8:21am
  • Tin foil vs Duct-tape

    by Pedren

    Tin foil wouldn't work it'd have to be duct-tape.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 8:58am
  • a 'sneakers' reference?

    by koan

    ...in this day and age? huzzah!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 9:13am
  • drunken brainwaves

    i've often wished my email client had a breathalyzer plugin -- but this would work.

    "error logging in :: that email you're thinking of sending is a really, really bad idea"

    (and i second the huzzah to the sneakers reference!)

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 9:13am
  • by Faz

    -- I am sorry, you suffer from amnesia. GoodBye ---

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 9:42am
  • by Stiffly Stifferson

    Good point about trying not to think about something. It's almost impossible.


    Quickly, don't picture your grandmother generously applying feminine itch cream to her dry heap of a vagina.


    See? It doesn't work.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 10:09am
  • This is just silly

    by Ira Machefsky

    This is just a silly idea. Biometric systems using explicit physical attributes, like plam prints, finger prints or voice prints, have a hard enough time working today. If you could recognize thought waves, you'd have long ago solved the traditional biometric authentication problem, which should be good enough even for government work.

    Regards,
    Ira

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 11:16am
  • by Cedar

    In related news: Zombies prove that hacking passwords is as each as Muuuuh *Chomp*

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 11:58am
  • by fishbane

    If a machine can detect something, a machine can record and replay it.

    Every biometric system has to deal with replay and MITM attacks if it wants to be considered secure.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 12:30pm
  • Brainwaves

    by Anonymous Coward #2

    Mine are kind of confused when I'm logging in to my computer... my password might never be the same twice!

    I'll just have to live with the fingerprint scanner embedded in my laptop.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 3:29pm
  • only passwords?

    by Anonymous Coward

    Once we can read brainwaves and translate them into thoughts for passwords, can't we *any* brainwaves and translate them into thoughts?

    Mind readers... sounds far fetched when even current biometrics don't work efectively.

    I'm donning my tin foil hat anyhow, I don't want the government to learn of my plans to take over the world.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 6:00pm
  • by qw1j1b0

    So in the past the KGB just cut off my thumb to get past biometrics, now they have to cut out my brain... no thanks.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 27th, 2006 @ 7:14pm
  • My password is...

    by [m]YSELF

    What if I forget what I was thinking about the moment I created the password for the first time?

    Think about the new Spywaves and thoughtsloggers... Nice future for the unborn Windows Vista 2008.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Feb 2nd, 2007 @ 5:33pm
  • by Anonymous Coward

    wtf i can't verify my fucking myspace e-mail

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 20th, 2007 @ 9:03pm
    • Re: myspace

      by jessica

      i caint add people and sent them as message i really need help please help me i try anything but it wont work it just says VEREFY YOU EMAIL and that is getting on my nerves

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Apr 13th, 2007 @ 10:41am
  • vertify email

    help me vertify my email address

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Apr 18th, 2007 @ 5:32am
  • vertify email add

    how can i vertify help me..

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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