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Intelligent Environments is launching the first ever emoji passcodes for bank accounts and they say that it is actually much safer than the pin number system.
The explanation relies on basic mathematics. If you have to develop pin codes in the form of four number sequences, then there are only 7,290 possible codes available, because you are using the numbers 0 to 9.
If the passcode consists of four emojis, that cannot repeat themselves, and you have 440 images to chose from, that means that there are 3.5 million possibilities out there, making the entire system more secure.
The developers explain that every user can invent a story, which he will then write in emojis and that is going to be their passcode. This would be a fun alternative to the regular pin code system.
Furthermore, it will help users enormously when it comes to remembering the passcode, because images are much easier for the human brain to remember than a sequence of numbers, according to Tony Buzan, an expert in the human memory and the inventor of “Mind Maps”.
The creators also point out just how widely used emojis are nowadays on social media platforms. We have gotten to the point where people can communicate by using solely emojies. This is actually very important because it means that people are familiarized with the emojis themselves.
Therefore, the risk of people choosing the emojis from their pass code from the first few options is greatly diminished. However, this kind of option could probably be observed in people who do not use social media platforms.
While cyber security experts consider the switch to emoji-based passcodes to be an improvement form the pin code system, they point out the need for a combined method of protection, that involved two different systems.
This emoji system would most likely convey enough security for the majority of users for a while, but after a certain period of time, potential intruders could figure out what the most common combinations are, and what are the basic security steps that people follow in their choice process.
Therefore, by combining the emoji system with another one, the security of the passcode system could be greatly enhanced.
Whether or not our bank passcodes will consist of smiley faces and colorful emojis in the near future remains to be seen, but the option offered by Intelligent Environments is a truly compelling one. Despite the colorful buzzing nature of the emojis, their use in the development of safer passcodes is as serious as possible.
Image Source: abcnews.com
