An unlock screen idea for the Pyra

[ible]

I like the idea of hitting a few facebuttons and/or shoulder buttons to unlock things quickly, but nubs also sound interesting.

 

[spud42]

couldnt you just get the Pyra to boot fron an SD card and bypass the lock? if someone stole your Pyra it wouldnt take too much effort to find this forum and be presented with ways of bypassing any lock scheme. yes you could encrypt the SD cards in the system but the thief could just reformat them on any system even the pyra after booting or even reflashing the system from a SD card........ im all for security as long as it isnt too difficult to use. but as they say where there is a will there is a way.

 

[thatgui]

couldnt you just get the Pyra to boot fron an SD card and bypass the lock? if someone stole your Pyra it wouldnt take too much effort to find this forum and be presented with ways of bypassing any lock scheme. yes you could encrypt the SD cards in the system but the thief could just reformat them on any system even the pyra after booting or even reflashing the system from a SD card........ im all for security as long as it isnt too difficult to use. but as they say where there is a will there is a way.

That depends on the goal you are having. If your goal is that the device is completely unusable without the proper authentification, you have to go below the OS layer. Which is (as far as I know) out of scope for the Pyra project. But if your goal is to provide protection for your data, this solution is equally good or bad as the solutions already in place, as this solely depends on what mechanisms you use protected your data (like encryption).

 

[Grench]

couldnt you just get the Pyra to boot fron an SD card and bypass the lock? if someone stole your Pyra it wouldnt take too much effort to find this forum and be presented with ways of bypassing any lock scheme. yes you could encrypt the SD cards in the system but the thief could just reformat them on any system even the pyra after booting or even reflashing the system from a SD card........ im all for security as long as it isnt too difficult to use. but as they say where there is a will there is a way.

I figure the Pyra will cost somewhere +/- $700.  I'll probably have $350 in SD cards in it.  Expensive hardware, but it can be replaced.  Data can be backed up and preserved.  However, once data leaves your possession it can be very difficult or impossible to regain control over it.  Keeping out the random snooper or curious can be an added advantage.  Data security can be managed via good passwords and encryption.  Physical security of the device is important, but in some applications the data security is paramount.

If your phone gets stolen the thief hasn't just got your phone.  If you haven't put in a lock screen or better security, the thief can instantly have access to your contacts list, your data files and your email - which can potentially get them access to your financial accounts and more.

There is a balancing act on security though.  It needs to be strong enough to protect the data without being so onerous to normal tasks that the end user disables it in order to get things done efficiently.  That is the basis for my coming up with this idea of a quick combination action using the Pyra's unique hardware (dual semi-analog nubs) to enable fast entry of a relatively secure pass code.

 

[Neelix]

Pyra unlock Screen?

Say the Magic Words into the Micro aka "HocusPocusFidibus"

And after you say that you are in Pyra OS

Mean an Audio unlocking Feature

Edit:And to make it very difficult for Thieves is unlocking in Bavaria German Dialect :lol:

 

"There's nothing more useless than a lock with a voice print."

- Neelix

 

[ingoreis]

Say the Magic Words into the Micro aka "HocusPocusFidibus"

That actually gives me a really good idea. Something I'm sure I can't mention right now due to working with NDAs, at least not until I've got a Pyra and can get my boss to green light a proof of concept, but know that it's really cool.
THANKS!

Thanks,another Idea is a Unlocking like the good old Snes Cheats

Example:

At the Lock Screen press Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, A, B, A

(and such Things can you make faster than some Passwords)

 

[Binky]

Spoiler

More combinations doesn't really mean more security. It quickly becomes pointless trying to brute-force through a hardware interface.
If we really do want this, I suggest that four shoulder buttons plus eight directions on each nub = 1024 combos is easily enough.
 
If someone is making a concerted attempt to attack the device, the electrical interfaces (SD cards, USB, etc) are probably a far easier angle to do it from.
If they aren't that keen to break in, 1024 combinations is fine.
 
Whats more, for the security obsessive, a conventional password (say there are 100,000 words in English, and you pick three of them) provides far more combinations.

 
You're ignoring that they're analog sticks and treating them as an 8 button D pad...  Part of the magic here is that a nub in 8 directions with 3 'buckets' in each direction is relatively easy to hit, but yields a relatively strong password equivalent with a single set of actions.
 
The whole idea is to give 'good enough' protection while not requiring the end user to enter a complex or lengthy password on a diminutive keyboard.  Three words?  That's something in the order of 20+ buttons to press - too much for a mobile device.
 
I suspect that most of us are using a sub-6 character password using just the top level characters on the Pandora's keyboard - if any entry/lock password at all.  The Pyra is a phone too - and needs a bit more thought to security and how to make it unobtrusive to the end user.

1. No-one brute-forces a 2^10 combination passcode through a mechanical interface.
2. Once the number of possible combinations passes a certain, low, number the concerns are more about electronic and software attacks.
3. Suppose your nubs/buttons code is processed/stored as a character string for compatability for existing software. Thats 24*24*16=OVER 9000 combinations, or about half as many as a random three-letter, all-lowercase passcode. Not very hard to attack through conventional methods.
4. My pandora password is around 15 chars long in mixed case. I can type it very quickly and easily.
5. This is not just a mobile device, this is a mobile device with a keyboard. If ED and the designers have done thier job, there should be no trouble at all typing a couple of words on it. In fact, if typing two or three words is too much trouble, then something has seriously gone wrong.

 

[_jr_]

Bruteforcing a 10^3 combination lock proved quite feasible, but otherwise I agree.

 

[Binky]

Mechanical locks don't make you wait for another prompt, or increase the length of wait with each failed attempt.