“My smartphone is a safe!” The user's point of view regarding novel authentication methods and gradual security levels on smartphones

This paper addresses laboratory tests regarding a graded security system on smartphones based on novel authentication methods. The main scope of this paper is the user's perception of and the need for such a system rather than the technical dimensions of it. In November 2009 we conducted four focus groups with a total of n=19 respondents with the goal to evaluate different prototypical authentication methods for smartphones and to determine the effects such methods would have for the user's interaction with the devices. The focus groups were part of a larger research program at Deutsche Telekom Laboratories that included a web survey measuring general user preferences regarding security and smartphone usage as well as the development of prototypical authentication methods based on Google's “Android” operating system. The goal of this research was to integrate the user into the development process as soon as possible and to determine the overall acceptance of new authentication methods such as biometric authentication but also 2D and 3D gestures recognition based authentication and password authentication. This paper gives valuable insights on the weakest link of the security chain: the user.