System and method for authenticating a user

1. A system comprising:

a memory operable to store:

a predetermined master image of a physical non-living object, the master image associated with a user account;

a master password associated with the user account; and

a first key associated with the user account; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to:

receive a request to perform a transaction associated with the user account;

receive a first password;

receive a second key generated by a hardware device;

compare the first password with the master password to determine that the first password matches the master password;

compare the second key with the first key to determine that the second key matches the first key;

communicate, in response to the determination that the first password matches the master password and to the determination that the second key matches the first key, a prompt;

receive, in response to the prompt, an image of a second physical non-living object, the image scanned in real-time in conjunction with the request to perform the transaction;

compare the image with the master image associated with the user account to determine whether the second physical non-living object is the physical non-living object;

perform the transaction if the second physical non-living object is determined to be the physical non-living object; and

change the master image to be of a third physical non-living object different from the physical non-living object in response to receiving a request to change the master image and to determining a second password matches the master password.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is received with a timestamp indicating when the image was scanned, and the processor further operable to determine if the image was scanned in real-time according to the timestamp.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein comparing the image with the master image comprises examining a first plurality of bits encoding the image and a second plurality of bits encoding the master image.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image is scanned by an application executed by a computing device associated with a user associated with the user account.

5. The system of claim 1 , the processor further operable to associate the master image with the user account in conjunction with a request from a user associated with the user account prior to receiving the request to perform the transaction.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the master image is selected by a user associated with the user account prior to the processor receiving the request to perform the transaction.

7. A system comprising:

an application executed by a first hardware processor and operable to;

send a request to perform a transaction associated with a user account;

send a first password;

send a key generated by a hardware device;

receive a prompt; and send, in response to the prompt an image of a physical non-living object scanned in real-time in conjunction with the request to perform the transaction; and

a second hardware processor operable to:

store a master image of a second physical non-living object, the master image associated with a user account;

store a master password associated with the user account;

store a first key associated with the user account;

receive the request to perform the transaction associated with the user account;

receive the first password;

receive the key generated by the hardware device;

compare the first password with the master password to determine that the first password matches the master password;

compare the key generated by the hardware device with the first key to determine that the key generated by the hardware device matches the first key;

communicate, in response to the determination that the first password matches the master password and to the determination that the hey generated by the hardware device matches the first key, the prompt;

receive, in response to the prompt, the image that is scanned in real-time in conjunction with the request to perform the transaction;

compare the image with the master image associated with the user account to determine whether the physical non-living object is the second physical non-living object;

perform the transaction if the physical non-living object is determined to be the second physical non-living object; and

change the master image to be of a third physical non-living object different from the physical non-living object in response to receiving a request to change the master image and to determining a second password matches the master password.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the image is communicated with a timestamp indicating when the image was scanned, and the second processor further operable to determine if the image was scanned in real-time according to the timestamp.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein comparing the image with the master image comprises comparing examining a first plurality of bits encoding the image and a second plurality of bits encoding the master image.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the image is scanned by an application executed by the first processor, the first processor associated with a user associated with the user account.

11. The system of claim 7 , the second processor further operable to associate the master image with the user account in conjunction with a request from a user associated with the user account prior to receiving the request to perform the transaction.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the master image is selected by a user associated with the user account prior to receiving the request to perform the transaction.

13. A method comprising:

storing a master image of a physical non-living object, the master image associated with a user account;

storing a master password associated with the user account;

storing a first key associated with the user account;

receiving a request to perform a transaction associated with the user account;

receiving a first password;

receiving a second key generated by a hardware device;

comparing the first password with the master password to determine that the first password matches the master password;

comparing the second key with the first key to determine that the second key matches the first key;

communicating, in response to the determination that the first password matches the master password and to the determination that the second key matches the first key, a prompt;

receiving, in response to the prompt, an image of a second physical non-living object, the image scanned in real-time in conjunction with the request to perform the transaction;

comparing the image with the master image associated with the user account to determine whether the physical non-living object is the second physical non-living object;

performing the transaction if the physical non-living object is determined to be the second physical non-living object; and

changing the master image to be of a third physical non-living object different from the physical non-living object in response to receiving a request to change the master image and to determining that a second password matches the master password.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the image comprises a timestamp, the method further comprising determining if the scanned image was scanned in real-time according to the timestamp.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein comparing the image with the master image comprises examining a first plurality of bits encoding the image and a second plurality of bits encoding the master image.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the image is scanned by an application executed by a computing device associated with a user associated with the user account.

17. The method of claim 13 , the method further comprising associating the master image with the user account in conjunction with a request from a user associated with the user account prior to receiving the request to perform the transaction.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the master image is selected by a user associated with the user account prior to receiving the request to perform the transaction.