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UEC Int’l Mini-Conference No.53 69

Recognition-based image authentication: A comparison with

conventional user authentication methods

¨
1
Hugo NORDENSTROM and Tetsuji TAKADA 2
1 UEC Exchange Study Program (JUSST Program)
2 Department of Informatics, Cluster II (Emerging Multi-interdisciplinary Engineering)
The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, Japan

Keywords: Cyber Security, Image Authentication, User Authentication.

Abstract
This study examines a Recognition-Based Image Authentication (RBIA) system designed to address
security issues and usability limitations found conventional user authentication systems. When authen-
ticating using the RBIA, users select four images, with only the first needing a specific order, thereby
achieving a balance between memorability and sequence-based security. Three image set sizes—20, 40,
and 60—were tested to reflect varying security demands. Over a nine-day trial, 11 participants com-
pared the RBIA system against common 4-digit and 6-digit PINs and pattern locks, with metrics focused
on success rates, authentication time, and user feedback. Findings show that RBIA achieves high mem-
orability and success rates, but with the drawback of longer authentication durations—especially for
larger image sets. Approximately half of the participants expressed willingness to adopt RBIA, though
most found it too time-intensive. These results suggest that RBIA may be more appropriate for sce-
narios where strong memorability and minimizing lockouts take precedence over rapid access, such as
infrequently accessed secure environments.