Passthoughts – Replace Passwords with Brainwaves

In a world where almost everything about our lives, from personal information to financial data, is on the internet, the need for strong online security is ever greater. We all know that no password is unbreakable, no matter how secure. UC Berkely School of Information researchers have come up with a solution: to replace manually entered passwords with brainwave-based computer authentication.

In their study, the scientists used a NeuroSky MindSet brainwave-reading headset connected to the left frontal lobe of the subjects and to a computer via Bluetooth technology. The results of the research were surprisingly accurate, with error rates of less than one percent, proving that a “mind-controlled” computer concept is not really the stuff of science-fiction and can actually become reality in the immediate future.

How it works

The computer uses sensors to analyze electroencephalograms and recognize brainwaves, thus allowing you to log into your online accounts using passthoughts instead of a traditional password that contains a sequences of numbers, letters or other characters. More specifically, you just have to think your password and the website you want to log into will unlock by the power of your brainwaves.

This study marks a significant breakthrough in efforts to make online authentication more secure. The idea of using brainwaves and EEG sensors has been around for some time now, but the technology required to make this happen has been rather invasive and expensive. The MindSet from NeuroSky is more affordable and easy to use, as apart from a small sensor, it looks just like an ordinary headset.

Researchers insist that the use of brainwave authentication would be a secure and effective method that has a high degree of accuracy and can successfully replace traditional password systems. With this innovative technology, not only will you be able to stop having to memorize dozens of different passcodes for all the sites you access, but your online information will be completely safe from hackers or scammers!

[Image via ContentFy]