Who are you?
The Who
Some weeks ago I attended a lesson on user authentication, and soon I started looking at it just like another way to face the already mentioned problem of uniqueness.
When you ask yourself how can a computer recognize me?, you are actually asking who am I?. Computers (at least most of them!) are no more than tools, so we cannot expect them to answer such a hard question. Think of all the ways in which a modern authentication system could verify your identity: passwords, ID numbers, fingerprints, DNA sequences, and so on. Do you trust them? I don't (and thankfully I am not alone). Even more ambitious approaches like strong authentication or vouching, though being very attractive, sound quite poor to my ears.
Who are you?
When we meet someone new we first focus on his physical aspects, then we switch to more complex characteristics. Day after day we collect little pieces of his life: face expressions, laughs, words, experiences, stories, feelings. Our Jigsaw puzzle keeps growing (never being really complete).
What happens if we casually meet our friend's secret twin brother? We greet him, but after some words we understand there is something wrong. If he is particularly able to imitate his brother, he may keep misleading us for some time – surely not forever. The reason is clear: one wrong piece is enough to knock down the entire puzzle.
I definitely demand to see an authentication system that behaves as we do. Possibly before I pass away.
I definitely demand to see an authentication system that behaves as we do. Possibly before I pass away.
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