Computer implemented security method and system

A security system for password authentication comprising:

• a display, a user input device, a processor and a memory encoding data on a password to be authenticated including a stored hash of the password to be authenticated, the processor being configured to execute computer program code to display a user interface on the display, the user interface including a positioning guide identifying candidate positions for symbols of the password and a marker;
• wherein the user input device is configured to receive user inputs on:
• a password comprising a plurality of symbols, and
• a location for each symbol in the user interface, each location being a different candidate position identified by said positioning guide;
• wherein the processor is configured to determine a hashing function in dependence on selected ones of the user inputs and the marker;
• and
• wherein the processor is configured to receive data on the user inputs and execute computer program code to authenticate the received user inputs in dependence on the data on the password to be authenticated and on the marker, and wherein the processor is configured to authenticate by executing a hashing function on the user inputted password and comparing the results of the hashing function to the stored hash to determine authentication,
• wherein the marker is selected from a plurality of markers, each marker designating a different condition to be met by the received user inputs to successfully authenticate the user,
• wherein each candidate position identified by the positioning guide is unoccupied by symbols of the password prior to the processor receiving the data on the user inputs on the password, and
• wherein the display and user input device comprise a touch screen system, the touch screen system being configured to display the positioning guide within the touch screen system and receive user inputs via the touch screen to position each symbol of the password at positions determined with respect to the positioning guide, the marker being positioned at one of any candidate positions within the positioning guide and the condition being an offset number of positions from the position of the marker at which the password is to be entered.

A computer implemented security system comprising:

• a hardware processor configured to execute computer program code for executing a security system, including:
• computer program code configured to receive a password to be authenticated and store a hash of the password to be authenticated in a data repository;
• computer program code configured to user interface on a display device, the user interface including a positioning guide and a marker;
• computer program code configured to receive user inputs on:
• a password comprising a plurality of symbols;
• a location for each symbol in the user interface relative to said positioning guide;
• computer program code configured to determine a hashing function in dependence on selected ones of the user inputs and the marker;
• and
• computer program code configured to authenticate the user in dependence on the received user inputs and on the marker and by applying the hashing function to the user inputted password and comparing the results of the hashing function to the stored hash,
• wherein the positioning guide includes a grid defining a plurality of candidate positions, each candidate position comprising a possible location for a symbol of the password, the grid being absent of password symbols prior to the computer program code receiving said user inputs, the marker being positioned at one of any candidate positions within the grid and the condition being an offset number of positions from the position of the marker at which the password is to be entered, and
• wherein the marker is selected from a plurality of markers, each marker designating a different condition to be met by the received user inputs to successfully authenticate the user.