Targeted biometric challenges

A system constructed and arranged to tailor a challenge activity to a particular user, the challenge activity being a part of an authentication procedure which is constructed and arranged to authenticate users based on multiple authentication factors, the system comprising:

• a network interface;
• a memory;
• and
• a controller which includes controlling circuitry coupled to the memory, the controlling circuitry being constructed and arranged to:
• identify traits of the particular user from electronic input received from the particular user, the identified traits distinguishing the particular user among users of a user population;
• select a set of user attributes from a pool of user attributes based on the identified traits of the particular user, each user attribute being an objectively measurable feature of a user of the user population;
• and
• incorporate the set of user attributes into the challenge activity;
• wherein each identified trait of the particular user is a value of a user attribute of the pool of user attributes for the particular user, the user attribute corresponding to the identified trait;
• wherein identifying traits of the particular user includes:
• performing a comparison operation on the value of the user attribute for the particular user to which that identified trait corresponds and a value of the user attribute for the user population, results of the comparison operation being used to identify distinguishing traits of the particular user;
• wherein the value of the user attribute for the user population is equal to a mean value of the user attribute across the user population;
• wherein performing the comparison operation includes:
• generating a comparison value based on the value of the user attribute for the particular user and the mean value of the user attribute across the user population;
• and
• assessing whether the comparison value satisfies a predetermined set of criteria;
• wherein assessing whether the difference satisfies a predetermined set of criteria:
• ranking, in descending order, the user attributes of the pool of user attributes according to the difference between the value of the user attribute and the mean value of the user attribute across the user population for each user attribute of the pool of user attributes to produce a ranked list of user attributes;
• and
• wherein selecting the set of user attributes from the pool of user attributes based on the identified traits of the particular user includes:
• picking the first N user attributes of the ranked list of user attributes as the set of user attributes, N being a number less than the number of user attributes in the pool of user attributes.

A computer program product having a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium which stores code to tailor a challenge activity to a particular user, the code including instructions to:

• identify traits of the particular user from electronic input received from the particular user, the identified traits distinguishing the particular user among users of a user population;
• select a set of user attributes from a pool of user attributes based on the identified traits of the particular user, each user attribute being an objectively measurable feature of a user of the user population;
• and
• incorporate the set of user attributes into the challenge activity;
• wherein each identified trait of the particular user corresponds to a value of a user attribute of the pool of user attributes;
• wherein identifying traits of the particular user includes:
• performing a comparison operation on the value of the user attribute for the particular user to which that identified trait corresponds and a value of the user attribute for the user population, results of the comparison operation being used to identify distinguishing traits of the particular user;
• wherein the value of the user attribute for the user population is equal to a mean value of the user attribute across the user population;
• wherein performing the comparison operation includes:
• generating a comparison value based on the value of the user attribute for the particular user and the mean value of the user attribute across the user population;
• and
• assessing whether the comparison value satisfies a predetermined set of criteria;
• wherein assessing whether the comparison value satisfies the predetermined set of criteria:
• ranking, in descending order, the user attributes of the pool of user attributes according to the difference between the value of the user attribute and the mean value of the user attribute across the user population for each user attribute of the pool of user attributes to produce a ranked list of user attributes;
• and
• wherein selecting the set of user attributes from the pool of user attributes based on the identified traits of the particular user includes:
• picking the first N user attributes of the ranked list of user attributes as the set of user attributes, N being a number less than the number of user attributes in the pool of user attributes.