PixelPin want to simplify security with image-based authentication

by Startacus Admin

London-based cyber-security startup PixelPin want to simplify security using image-based authentication to replace passwords. 

Passwords need to be long and complicated in order to be in any way secure, and that means they can become difficult to remember; especially if you use a different password for every website and service you use.

There is a surprisingly low login success rate with passwords, with only 30% of people managing to log into sites successfully on their first try. As we all know, this can easily lead to being locked out, the consequences of which range from having to wait 15 minutes to having to go through a frustrating process of proving our identity with long-forgotten security questions, phone numbers we haven’t had for 10 years, and secondary email addresses that could be any one of a dozen. Logging into our devices can be easier, with simple PIN numbers or even pattern recognition.

So why can’t we have something as simple and secure online?

London-based cyber security startup PixelPin asked the same question, and found no reason why not, so they created their image-based login system.

It works simply by selecting or uploading an image, choosing 4 precise points on that image, and logging in. All you have to remember is the order in which to select those points, which is why the login success rate with this method is 92%. Particularly if you choose a busy picture, the number of possible passpoints on an image are infinitely greater than the amount of number combinations in a PIN and more secure than even a strong password, so this method of logging in is simple for you and extremely difficult for anyone trying to break in to your sites. And by its nature it isn’t vulnerable to security threats like brute force hacking or phishing.

Just recently, PixelPin secured £1.5m in funding from angel investors and led by Softbank’s spin-off VC, SBI Investment. This money will allow the startup to open a third office in Tokyo to complement their existing offices in London and Cheltenham.

It’s easy to see why they received this investment, as it is a simple but highly effective system, easy to integrate, and inexpensive for companies to use. And with PixelPin’s intention to become used for every site we log into, a picture really can speak a thousand passwords! 

If you like the sound of this startup you might want to read up on: 

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Published on: 22nd April 2019