The effect of baroque music on the PassPoints graphical password

TL;DR

This study investigates how baroque music influences the memorability and complexity of PassPoints graphical passwords, finding it improves long-term recall and password strength but increases login time.

Contribution

It introduces the use of baroque music into graphical password schemes and provides empirical evidence of its effects on user memory and password complexity.

Findings

Music group had better long-term recall.

Music group created more complex passwords.

Music increased login time.

Abstract

Graphical passwords have been demonstrated to be the possible alternatives to traditional alphanumeric passwords. However, they still tend to follow predictable patterns that are easier to attack. The crux of the problem is users' memory limitations. Users are the weakest link in password authentication mechanism. It shows that baroque music has positive effects on human memorizing and learning. We introduce baroque music to the PassPoints graphical password scheme and conduct a laboratory study in this paper. Results shown that there is no statistic difference between the music group and the control group without music in short-term recall experiments, both had high recall success rates. But in long-term recall, the music group performed significantly better. We also found that the music group tended to set significantly more complicated passwords, which are usually more resistant to dictionary and other guess attacks. But compared with the control group, the music group took more time to log in both in short-term and long-term tests. Besides, it appears that background music does not work in terms of hotspots.