Improved Mobile Security Based on Two‐Factor Authentication

ABSTRACT Despite password‐based security schemes offering increased protection against unwanted access, two‐factor authentication (TFA) is still not widely used primarily because users find additional login steps to be exhausting. To solve this challenge, SoundSignature, a unique TFA technique, is introduced that is intended to be both deployable and user friendly. It verifies that the user's phone is in close proximity to the login device by recording background noise using the microphones on the device. By mimicking the seamless experience of password‐only authentication, this technique enhances security without requiring direct user intervention. Our experimental research demonstrates in both indoor and outdoor scenarios, as well as those in which a phone is carried in a pocket or handbag, ambient noise serves as an effective classifier for device proximity. SoundSignature, being easy to set up and compatible with most devices and browsers without the need for additional plugins, stops attackers from trying to impersonate or predict by utilizing a complicated connection between acoustic propagation mechanisms and the constant frequency response of hardware components. A prototype implementation of SoundSignature, which attains an average accuracy rate of about 90.2% with a minimal equal error rate of 8.5%, validates the system's robustness and effectiveness in five different environments.