Identity Verification Using Category-Matched Distraction Answers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current security question verification methods are vulnerable due to significant differences between correct and incorrect answers, allowing illegitimate users to easily guess the correct answer.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that generate distraction answers similar to the correct answer by categorizing user data and searching for related data within the same category, increasing the similarity between distraction and correct answers, thereby enhancing security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If incorrect answers are generated in a random manner, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the difference between correct and incorrect answers becomes too large, allowing illegitimate users to easily guess the correct answer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of answer generation from completely random to category-based selection. Instead of randomly generating any incorrect answer, the system now selects distraction answers from the same category as the correct answer (e.g., if the correct answer is a color, all distractors are also colors). This parameter change maintains ease of operation while significantly improving security by reducing the guessable difference between options.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making different parts of the answer choice set have different properties. The correct answer maintains its original characteristics, while the incorrect answers are specifically tailored to match the category and characteristics of the correct answer. This local differentiation ensures that all options appear equally plausible, thereby improving verification security without complicating the generation process.
2Reliability
If distraction answers are made more similar to the correct answer by categorizing user data, then the security of identity authentication is improved, but the device complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-categorizing user data into distinct categories (such as colors, numbers, locations, etc.) before the verification process. This preprocessing step creates organized data structures that can be quickly accessed during verification. By performing the categorization work in advance, the system reduces the complexity burden during actual verification operations while maintaining high security through category-matched distraction answers.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identity verification are provided. One of the methods includes: generating a security question for verifying a target user; determining an answer for the target user to match the security question; determining a category identification of the answer for the target user; determining users' data corresponding to the category identification of the answer for the target user; searching, in the determined users' data, for one or more pieces of the users' data related to the answer for the target user to serve as one or more distraction answers; and verifying the target user according to the security question, the answer for the target user, and the one or more distraction answers.