Identifying and authenticating users based on passive factors determined from sensor data
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that authenticates and/or identifies a user of an electronic device based on passive factors, which do not require conscious user actions. During operation of the system, in response to detecting a trigger event, the system collects sensor data from one or more sensors in the electronic device. Next, the system extracts a feature vector from the sensor data. The system then analyzes the feature vector to authenticate and/or identify the user, wherein the feature vector is analyzed using a model trained with sensor data previously obtained from the electronic device while the user was operating the electronic device.
1 . A method comprising:
determining, via a login program executing on a computing device, a user attempt to supply first authentication credentials;
responsive to determining the user attempt, transitioning the login program to respond to alternative passive authentication credentials that are based in part on sensor data;
submitting the alternative passive authentication credentials;
detecting an error associated with the alternative passive authentication credentials;
responsive to detecting the error, transitioning the login program from responding to the alternative passive authentication credentials to responding to the first authentication credentials before the user has been authenticated;
submitting the first authentication credentials;
indicating receipt of a challenge in response to submission of the first authentication credentials;
responding to the challenge using previously stored user parameters;
authenticating the user responsive to the submitted first authentication credentials and the response to the challenge; and
permitting the user to access content.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein permitting the user to access content comprises permitting the user to access a voicemail message.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein permitting the user to access content comprises permitting the user to access an email account.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein permitting the user to access content comprises displaying content from a website.
5 . An apparatus comprising:
a processor coupled to at least one memory to:
determine, via a login program, a user attempt to supply first authentication credentials;
responsive to determining the user attempt, transition the login form to respond to alternative passive authentication credentials that are based in part on sensor data;
submit the alternative passive authentication credentials;
detect an error associated with the alternative passive authentication credentials;
responsive to detecting the error, transition the login program from responding to the alternative passive authentication credentials to responding to the first authentication credentials before the user has been authenticated;
submit the first authentication credentials;
indicate receipt of a challenge in response to submission of the first authentication credentials;
respond to the challenge using previously stored user parameters;
authenticate the user responsive to the submitted first authentication credentials and the response to the challenge; and
permit the user to access content.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor coupled to the at least one memory are additionally to:
interact with a change-password mechanism on a website to change the password for the user without user input.
7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor coupled to the at least one memory to permit the user to access content are to:
permit the user to access a voicemail message.
8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor coupled to the at least one memory to permit the user to access content are to:
permit the user to access an email account.
9 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor coupled to the at least one memory to permit the user to access content are to:
permit the user to access displayed content from a website.
10 . An article comprising:
a non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor coupled to at least one memory, cause the processor coupled to the at least one memory to:
determine, via a login program, a user attempt to supply first authentication credentials;
responsive to determining the user attempt, transition the login form to respond to alternative passive authentication credentials that are based in part on sensor data;
submit the alternative passive authentication credentials;
detect an error associated with the alternative passive authentication credentials;
responsive to detecting the error, transition the login program from responding to the alternative passive authentication credentials to responding to the first authentication credentials before the user has been authenticated;
submit the first authentication credentials;
indicate receipt of a challenge in response to submission of the first authentication credentials;
respond to the challenge using previously stored user parameters;
authenticate the user responsive to the submitted first authentication credentials and the response to the challenge; and
permit the user to access content.
11 . The article of claim 10 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium includes instructions that are additionally to:
indicate receipt of a challenge in response to submission of the authentication credentials; and
respond to the challenge using previously stored user parameters.