Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Gillman, David

Area of Concentration

Computer Science

Abstract

In today's age, we find ourselves required to create accounts to manage more and more of our services. To keep these accounts secure, we typically need to manage a collection of different passwords to be able to sign in to our accounts. However, remembering and managing a large number of different passwords is a difficult task for the average user. This makes it evident that there is a need to come up with something that serves as a viable alternative to managing multiple passwords. This paper reports on the usability of passwords constructed from notes and melodies rather than alphanumeric characters. Music is a universal point of expression and enjoyment across the world and the average person has an inherent ability to recall our favorite songs and melodies. This study gathered five individuals in person to attempt a simulated sign in with a prototype authentication system based on playing along to a user’s selected snippet of music using the keyboard as a virtual instrument. We found that participants with more of a musical aptitude and patience to learn tended to favor the innovative approach to signing into an account over those with less musical ability and desire to practice “playing” their password. It is also important to note that technical issues and slight clunkiness in interactions may have had a negative effect on the perception of the software. Since users are comparing it to the baseline of text-input verification, it is important to make the login process as short and streamlined as possible.

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