Method, apparatus and computer program product for determining password strength

1. A computer-implemented method for estimating a strength of a proposed graphical password comprising a first segment and a second segment, the method comprising:

(a) a hardware processor obtaining the proposed graphical password, wherein the proposed graphical password was created by a user interacting with a touch-screen of a mobile communication device, and applying a first geometric operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the first segment consists of a first set of two or more points (P 11 , P 12 , . . . ) and applying the first geometric operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password results in the generation of a first transformed segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the first transformed segment consists of a corresponding second set of two or more points (P 21 , P 22 , . . . ), each point in the first set of points is mapped to a point in the second set of points based on the geometric operation, and the first set of points includes a first point (P 11 ) that is mapped to a second point (P 21 ) included in the second set of points and the first point (P 11 ) is located at a first position and the second point (P 21 ) is located at a second position that is different than the first position;

(b) the hardware processor performing a comparison operation between 1) the first transformed segment that was generated by applying the geometric operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password and 2) the second segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the second segment of the proposed graphical password is separate and distinct from the first segment of the proposed graphical password;

(c) based on an outcome of the comparison operation, the processor hardware performing a penalty operation with respect to the first segment, wherein the step of performing the penalty operation comprises one or more of:

(c1) the hardware processor calculating a penalty value, wherein the penalty value is used in calculating a value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password; and

(c2) the hardware processor disregarding the first or the second segment when calculating the value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password, wherein

the step of applying the first geometric operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises the processor rotating the first segment of the proposed graphical password around a first point by X degrees, where X>0 and X<360 degrees.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

the step of performing the comparison operation comprises the processor determining whether the first transformed segment is similar to the second segment, and

the step of performing the penalty operation is performed in response to a determination that the first transformed segment is similar to the second segment.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein

the step of determining whether the first transformed segment is similar to the second segment comprises the processor determining whether the first transformed segment is identical to the second segment, and

the step of performing the penalty operation is performed in response to a determination that the first transformed segment is identical to the second segment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password is a first point, the first point having a first coordinate,

the second segment of the proposed graphical password is a second point, the second point having a second coordinate,

the first transformed segment comprises a first transformed point having a third coordinate, and

step (b) comprises determining whether the third coordinate is the same as the second coordinate.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises an ordered set of points P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , Pn,

the method further comprises the processor determining a value representing a strength of the first segment, which determining step comprises, for each point included in the ordered set of points, the processor determining a probability related value associated with the point based on a first probability distribution, and

the value representing the strength of the first segment is a function of the determined probability related values.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein

the step of determining the value representing the strength of the first segment further comprises:

the processor determining whether points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 all lie on the same straight line, and

the processor assessing a penalty in response to determining that points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 all lie on the same straight line.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(d) the processor applying a second operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password to produce a second transformed segment;

(e) the processor performing a comparison operation between the second transformed segment and a third segment of the proposed graphical password;

(f) based on an outcome of the comparison operation between the second transformed segment and the third segment, the processor performing a penalty operation with respect to the first segment, wherein the step of performing the penalty operation comprises one or more of:

(f1) the processor calculating a penalty value, wherein the penalty value is used in calculating a value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password; and

(f2) the processor disregarding the first or the third segment from the proposed graphical password when calculating the value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

the processor displaying the strength of the proposed graphical password before the proposed graphical password is completed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , the method further comprising:

the processor updating the display of the proposed graphical password in response to receiving a next segment of the proposed graphical password.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the penalty operation decreases the strength of the proposed graphical password in response to determining that the next segment and a prior consecutive segment have a same direction.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each segment in the proposed graphical password is connected with another segment in the proposed graphical password.

12. An apparatus for estimating a strength of a proposed graphical password comprising two or more segments, the apparatus comprising:

a data processing system comprising one or more hardware processors, the data processing system being configured to employ one or more of the one or more hardware processors to being configured to perform a process comprising:

(a) obtaining the proposed graphical password, wherein the proposed graphical password was created by a user interacting with a touch-screen of a mobile communication device, and applying a first operation on a first segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the first segment consists of a first set of two or more points (P 11 , P 12 , . . . ) and applying the first geometric operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password results in the generation of a first transformed segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the first transformed segment consists of a corresponding second set of two or more points (P 21 , P 22 , . . . ), each point in the first set of points is mapped to a point in the second set of points based on the geometric operation, and the first set of points includes a first point (P 11 ) that is mapped to a second point (P 21 ) included in the second set of points and the first point (P 11 ) is located at a first position and the second point (P 21 ) is located at a second position that is different than the first position;

(b) performing a comparison operation between the first transformed segment and a second segment of the proposed graphical password;

(c) based on an outcome of the comparison operation, performing a penalty operation with respect to the first segment, wherein the step of performing the penalty operation comprises one or more of:

(c1) calculating a penalty value, wherein the penalty value may be used in calculating a value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password; and

(c2) disregarding the first or the second segment when calculating the value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password, wherein

the step of applying the operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises rotating the first segment around a first point by X degrees, wherein X>0 and X<360.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password is a first point, the first point having a first coordinate,

the second segment of the proposed graphical password is a second point, the second point having a second coordinate,

the first transformed segment comprises a first transformed point having a third coordinate, and

step (b) comprises determining whether the third coordinate is the same as the second coordinate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises a first line, the first line extending from a first point having a first coordinate to a second point having a second coordinate,

the first transformed segment comprises a first transformed line extending from a third point having a third coordinate to a fourth point having a fourth coordinate, and

step (b) comprises determining whether the proposed graphical password includes a line that extends from the third point to the fourth point.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises an ordered set of points P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , . . . , Pn,

the process further comprises determining a value representing the strength of the first segment, which determining step comprises, for each point included in the ordered set of points, determining a probability related value associated with the point based on a first probability distribution, and

the value representing the strength of the first segment is a function of the determined probability related values.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

the step of determining the value representing the strength of the first segment further comprises:

determining whether points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 all lie on the same straight line, and

assessing a penalty in response to determining that points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 all lie on the same straight line.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the process further comprises:

(d) applying a second operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password to produce a second transformed segment;

(e) performing a comparison operation between the second transformed segment and a third segment of the proposed graphical password;

(f) based on an outcome of the comparison operation between the second transformed segment and the third segment, performing a penalty operation with respect to the first segment, wherein the step of performing the penalty operation comprises one or more of:

(f1) calculating a penalty value, wherein the penalty value may be used in calculating a value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password; and

(f2) disregarding the first or the third segment when calculating the value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the proposed graphical password is created by a user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the input device is located remotely from the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the proposed graphical password is received by the apparatus from an input device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the input device comprises a touchscreen.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the input device is an input-output device and the process that the data processing system is configured to perform further comprises:

calculating a value representing the estimated strength of the proposed graphical password; and

using the input-output device to indicate to a user the estimated strength of the proposed graphical password.

23. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer code for estimating a strength of a proposed graphical password comprising two or more segments, the computer code comprising:

(a) instructions for applying a first operation on a first segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the proposed graphical password was created by a user interacting with a touch-screen of a mobile communication device, and wherein the first segment consists of a first set of two or more points (P 11 , P 12 , . . . ) and applying the first geometric operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password results in the generation of a first transformed segment of the proposed graphical password, wherein the first transformed segment consists of a corresponding second set of two or more points (P 21 , P 22 , . . . ), each point in the first set of points is mapped to a point in the second set of points based on the geometric operation, and the first set of points includes a first point (P 11 ) that is mapped to a second point (P 21 ) included in the second set of points and the first point (P 11 ) is located at a first position and the second point (P 21 ) is located at a second position that is different than the first position;

(b) instructions for performing a comparison operation between the first transformed segment and a second segment of the proposed graphical password;

(c) instructions for performing a penalty operation with respect to the first segment based on an outcome of the comparison operation, wherein the instructions for performing the penalty operation comprises one or more of:

(c1) instructions for calculating a penalty value, wherein the penalty value is used in calculating a value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password; and

(c2) instructions for disregarding the first or the second segment when calculating the value representing the strength of the proposed graphical password, wherein

the instructions for applying the operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises instructions for rotating the first segment around a first point by X degrees, where X>0 and X<360.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein

the instructions for performing the comparison operation comprises instructions for determining whether the first transformed segment is similar to the second segment, and

the instructions for performing the penalty operation are configured to be executed in response to a determination that the first transformed segment is similar to the second segment.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 , wherein

the instructions for determining whether the first transformed segment is similar to the second segment comprises instructions for determining whether the first transformed segment is identical to the second segment, and

the instructions for performing the penalty operation are configured to be executed in response to a determination that the first transformed segment is identical to the second segment.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password is a first point, the first point having a first coordinate,

the second segment of the proposed graphical password is a second point, the second point having a second coordinate,

the first transformed segment comprises a first transformed point having a third coordinate, and

the instructions for performing the comparison operation comprises instructions for determining whether the third coordinate is the same as the second coordinate.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein

the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises an ordered set of points P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , . . . , Pn,

the computer code further comprises instructions for determining a value representing the strength of the first segment, which comprises, for each point included in the ordered set of points, instructions for determining a probability related value associated with the point based on a first probability distribution, and

the value representing the strength of the first segment is a function of the determined probability related values.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 , wherein

the instructions for determining the value representing the strength of the first segment further comprises:

instructions for determining whether points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 all lie on the same straight line, and

instructions for reducing the value representing the strength of the first segment in response to determining that points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 all lie on the same straight line.

29. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the instructions for applying the operation on the first segment of the proposed graphical password comprises one or more of:

(i) instructions for rotating the first segment around a first point by X degrees, where X>0 or X<0, and

(ii) instructions for folding the first segment around a first specified axis.