View article

BACKGROUND

Billions of dollars are lost each year through fraudulent access to services and information. In an effort to mitigate fraudulent activity, persons are often required to create a user identification (“user ID') and password for authentication purposes. With the proliferation of online access to sensitive information including bank account information, medical information, and other online account information Such as for online shopping, online gaming, and social networking, per Sons are increasingly becoming inundated with requirements to choose and remember multiple passwords for multiple accounts. On average, a person has approximately twenty five online accounts for which a password is required. It is common practice for a person to choose a password with few characters and to utilize the same password for multiple accounts. This practice greatly increases the risk of identity theft.