TWC SBE: Small: Collaborative: Brain Password: Exploring A Psychophysiological Approach for Secure User Authentication

加密系统通常依赖于加密凭据的保密性；然而，这些系统很容易被窃听，并且既不能抵抗用户的故意泄露，也不能抵抗用户被迫透露凭据的强制攻击。不幸的是，传统的生物测定密钥(例如，指纹、虹膜等)仍然可能被秘密复制或相反地暴露。在这项研究中，PI认为最安全的加密凭据是用户甚至不知道的凭据。基于这一论点，本研究的目的是探索一种新的心理生理学方法，用于通过脑电(EEG)脑波反应的非意志成分进行安全和可信的用户身份验证。具体地说，这项研究考察了这些反应随着时间的推移有多一致，并正式评估了它们对个人的独特程度。通过识别脑电的可重现、独特的特征，我们正在开发一种方法，通过提取时间不变和上下文不变的“大脑密码”来准确识别和认证人。这项研究有可能将现有的认证系统转变为更安全、更防泄露的解决方案；这对高安全应用至关重要。重要的是，这项工作的跨学科内容还将使我们能够加强对个人大脑反应的理解，并将这一新知识应用于日益脆弱的网络空间。这可能会使“大脑指纹”的可能性取得深远的突破。此外，调查人员正在发挥积极作用，促进代表人数不足的少数群体和女学生的学术研究，并作出重大努力，将多样性纳入教育和研究活动。

Cryptographic systems often rely on the secrecy of cryptographic credentials; however, these are vulnerable to eavesdropping and can resist neither a user's intentional disclosure nor coercion attacks where the user is forced to reveal the credentials. Conventional biometric keys (e.g., fingerprint, iris, etc.), unfortunately, can still be surreptitiously duplicated or adversely revealed. In this research, the PIs argue that the most secure cryptographic credentials are ones of which the users aren't even aware. On the basis of this argument, the objective of this research is to investigate a new psychophysiological approach for secure and trustworthy user authentication via non-volitional components of the electroencephalogram (EEG) brainwave responses. Specifically, the research examines how consistent these responses are over time and also formally assesses how unique they are to individuals. By identifying reproducible, unique features of the EEG, we are developing a method to accurately recognize and authenticate people by extracting time-invariant and context-invariant "brain passwords."This research holds the potential to transform existing authentication systems into more secure, disclosure-resistant solutions; critical for high-security applications. The cross-disciplinary content of the work also, importantly, will allow us to strengthen our understanding of individual brain responses and apply this new knowledge into increasingly vulnerable cyberspace. This may lead to a far-reaching breakthrough in the possibility of "brain fingerprinting." Moreover, the investigators are taking active roles in nourishing the scholarship of underrepresented minorities and female students and making substantial efforts to integrate diversity in both educational and research activities.