Hardening security images

• US 9,129,102 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leddy, William Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US13/429,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20130251212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/307
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/754 involving a deformation of the sample pattern or of the reference pattern; Elastic matching

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for authenticating a human user. A memory can store a plurality of images and can store account information for a plurality of users. The account information can include personal image information for at least some of the users. A processor can receive a communication including an indication of a desire of a user to be authenticated, access an account of the user, modify the plurality of images to form a plurality of modified images, provide the plurality of modified images to the user, receive trial personal image information from the user, and compare the personal image information stored in the memory to the trial personal image information received from the user. The processor can authenticate the user if the personal image information stored in the memory is the same as the trial personal image information.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory storing one or more images that have been viewed by a user and storing account information for the user, the account information including personal image information for the user that is indicative of the user'"'"'s identification or characterization of the one or more images; and

a processor operable to;

receive a communication including an indication of a desire of a user to be authenticated;

access an account of the user;

modify the one or more images to form one or more modified images;

provide the one or more modified images to the user;

receive trial personal image information from the user, the trial personal image information being indicative of the user'"'"'s identification or characterization of the one or more modified images;

compare the personal image information stored in the memory to the trial personal image information received from the user; and

authenticate the user if the personal image information stored in the memory is the same as the trial personal image information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to at least one of the one or more images that will change a checksum of the at least one of the images.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises changing one pixel of at least one of the one or more images.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises changing a plurality of pixels of at least one of the one or more images.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to a plurality of portions of at least one of the one or more images.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to at least one of the one or more images and the change comprises at least one item selected from the list consisting of:

changing a color of at least a portion of the image;

showing the image in silhouette;

moving the image;

changing a resolution of the image;

cropping the image;

changing an object of the image;

mirroring the image;

changing a border of the image; and

warping the image.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises substituting a different image for at least one of the one or more images, the different image being an image of the same type of object.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises modifying all of the images provided to the user.

9. A method comprising:

storing, in a memory, one or more images that have been viewed by a user and account information for the user, the account information including personal image information for the user that is indicative of the user'"'"'s identification or characterization of the one or more images;

receiving, electronically by a processor, a communication including an indication of a desire of a user to be authenticated;

accessing, by the processor, an account of the user;

modifying, by the processor, the one or more images to form one or more modified images;

providing, by the processor, the one or more modified images to the user;

receiving, by the processor, trial personal image information from the user, the trial personal image information being indicative of the user'"'"'s identification or characterization of the one or more modified images;

comparing, by the processor, the personal image information stored in the memory to the trial personal image information received from the user; and

authenticating, by the processor, the user if the personal image information stored in the memory is the same as the trial personal image information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to at least one of the one or more images that will change a checksum of the at least one of the images.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises changing one pixel of at least one of the one or more images.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises changing a plurality of pixels of at least one of the one or more images.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to a plurality of portions of at least one of the one or more images.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to at least one of the one or more images and the change comprises at least one item selected from the list consisting of:

changing a color of at least a portion of the image;

showing the image in silhouette;

moving the image;

changing a resolution of the image;

cropping the image;

changing an object of the image;

mirroring the image;

changing a border of the image; and

warping the image.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises substituting a different image for at least one of the one or more images, the different image being an image of the same type of object.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises modifying all of the images provided to the user.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable and executable code for instructing a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing, in a memory, one or more images that have been viewed by a user and storing account information for users the user, the account information including personal image information for the user that is indicative of the user'"'"'s identification or characterization of the one or more images;

receiving, electronically by a processor, a communication including an indication of a desire of a user to be authenticated;

accessing, by the processor, an account of the user;

modifying, by the processor, the one or more images to form one or more modified images;

providing, by the processor, the one or more modified images to the user;

receiving, by the processor, trial personal image information from the user, the trial personal image information being indicative of the user'"'"'s identification or characterization of the one or more modified images;

comparing, by the processor, the personal image information stored in the memory to the trial personal image information received from the user; and

authenticating, by the processor, the user if the personal image information stored in the memory is the same as the trial personal image information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to at least one of the one or more images that will change a checksum of the at least one of the images.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises changing one pixel of at least one of the one or more images.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises changing a plurality of pixels of at least one of the one or more images.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to a one or more portions of the image.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises making a change to at least one of the one or more images and the change comprises at least one item selected from the list consisting of:

changing a color of at least a portion of the image;

showing the image in silhouette;

moving the image;

changing a resolution of the image;

cropping the image;

changing an object of the image;

mirroring the image;

changing a border of the image; and

warping the image.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises substituting a different image for at least one of the one or more images, the different image being an image of the same type of object.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein modifying the one or more images comprises modifying all of the images provided to the user.