Abstract
The pattern password method is amongst the most attractive authentication methods and involves drawing a pattern; this is seen as easier than typing a password. However, since people with visual impairments have been increasing their usage of smart devices, this method is inaccessible for them as it requires them to select points on the touch screen. Therefore, this paper exploits the haptic technology by introducing a vibration-based pattern password approach in which the vibration feedback plays an important role. This approach allows visually impaired people to use a pattern password through two developed vibration feedback: pulses, which are counted by the user, and duration, which has to be estimated by the user. In order to make the proposed approach capable to prevent shoulder-surfing attacks, a camouflage pattern approach is applied. An experimental study is conducted to evaluate the proposed approach, the results of which show that the vibration pulses feedback is usable and resistant to shoulder-surfing attacks.