A system and method for restricting access to a computer system, resource, or network to live persons, and for preventing the execution of automated scripts via an interface intended for human interaction.
When queried for access to a protected resource, computer system, or network, the system will respond with a challenge requiring unknown petitioners to solve a visual puzzle before proceeding, said puzzle consisting of a collection of apparently random objects, and exploiting the natural human impulse to form semantic or symbolic associations between images of objects.
The puzzle objects are assembled into a composite test image which is designed to frustrate machine interpretation but is still easily interpreted by a human being.
The subject of the test must either recognize a semantic or symbolic association between two or more objects, or isolate an object that does not belong with the others, indicating their selection with the pointing device on their local computer.
If the subject of the test succeeds in passing the test, they are granted access to the requested resource, computer system, or network. If not, they are invited to attempt the test again, up to a configurable maximum retests, after which time their request is simply ignored.