2,035 research outputs found
GOTCHA Password Hackers!
We introduce GOTCHAs (Generating panOptic Turing Tests to Tell Computers and
Humans Apart) as a way of preventing automated offline dictionary attacks
against user selected passwords. A GOTCHA is a randomized puzzle generation
protocol, which involves interaction between a computer and a human.
Informally, a GOTCHA should satisfy two key properties: (1) The puzzles are
easy for the human to solve. (2) The puzzles are hard for a computer to solve
even if it has the random bits used by the computer to generate the final
puzzle --- unlike a CAPTCHA. Our main theorem demonstrates that GOTCHAs can be
used to mitigate the threat of offline dictionary attacks against passwords by
ensuring that a password cracker must receive constant feedback from a human
being while mounting an attack. Finally, we provide a candidate construction of
GOTCHAs based on Inkblot images. Our construction relies on the usability
assumption that users can recognize the phrases that they originally used to
describe each Inkblot image --- a much weaker usability assumption than
previous password systems based on Inkblots which required users to recall
their phrase exactly. We conduct a user study to evaluate the usability of our
GOTCHA construction. We also generate a GOTCHA challenge where we encourage
artificial intelligence and security researchers to try to crack several
passwords protected with our scheme.Comment: 2013 ACM Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Security (AISec
Vacuum Polarization Effects in the Lorentz and PCT Violating Electrodynamics
In this work we report new results concerning the question of dynamical mass
generation in the Lorentz and PCT violating quantum electrodynamics. A one loop
calculation for the vacuum polarization tensor is presented. The electron
propagator, "dressed" by a Lorentz breaking extra term in the fermion
Lagrangian density, is approximated by its first order: this scheme is shown to
break gauge invariance. Then we rather consider a full calculation to second
order in the Lorentz breaking parameter: we recover gauge invariance and use
the Schwinger-Dyson equation to discuss the full photon propagator. This allows
a discussion on a possible photon mass shift as well as measurable, observable
physical consequences, such as the Lamb-shift.Comment: Latex file, 19 pages, no figures, includes PACS number
Compact Einstein-Weyl four-dimensional manifolds
We look for four dimensional Einstein-Weyl spaces equipped with a regular
Bianchi metric. Using the explicit 4-parameters expression of the distance
obtained in a previous work for non-conformally-Einstein Einstein-Weyl
structures, we show that only four 1-parameter families of regular metrics
exist on orientable manifolds : they are all of Bianchi type and
conformally K\"ahler ; moreover, in agreement with general results, they have a
positive definite conformal scalar curvature. In a Gauduchon's gauge, they are
compact and we obtain their topological invariants. Finally, we compare our
results to the general analyses of Madsen, Pedersen, Poon and Swann : our
simpler parametrisation allows us to correct some of their assertions.Comment: Latex file, 13 pages, an important reference added and a critical
discussion of its claims offered, others minor modification
Charon's radius and density from the combined data sets of the 2005 July 11 occultation
The 2005 July 11 C313.2 stellar occultation by Charon was observed by three
separate research groups, including our own, at observatories throughout South
America. Here, the published timings from the three data sets have been
combined to more accurately determine the mean radius of Charon: 606.0 +/- 1.5
km. Our analysis indicates that a slight oblateness in the body (0.006 +/-
0.003) best matches the data, with a confidence level of 86%. The oblateness
has a pole position angle of 71.4 deg +/- 10.4 deg and is consistent with
Charon's pole position angle of 67 deg. Charon's mean radius corresponds to a
bulk density of 1.63 +/- 0.07 g/cm3, which is significantly less than Pluto's
(1.92 +/- 0.12 g/cm3). This density differential favors an impact formation
scenario for the system in which at least one of the impactors was
differentiated. Finally, unexplained differences between chord timings measured
at Cerro Pachon and the rest of the data set could be indicative of a
depression as deep as 7 km on Charon's limb.Comment: 25 pages including 4 tables and 2 figures. Submitted to the
Astronomical Journal on 2006 Feb 0
Results on the Wess-Zumino consistency condition for arbitrary Lie algebras
The so-called covariant Poincare lemma on the induced cohomology of the
spacetime exterior derivative in the cohomology of the gauge part of the BRST
differential is extended to cover the case of arbitrary, non reductive Lie
algebras. As a consequence, the general solution of the Wess-Zumino consistency
condition with a non trivial descent can, for arbitrary (super) Lie algebras,
be computed in the small algebra of the 1 form potentials, the ghosts and their
exterior derivatives. For particular Lie algebras that are the semidirect sum
of a semisimple Lie subalgebra with an ideal, a theorem by Hochschild and Serre
is used to characterize more precisely the cohomology of the gauge part of the
BRST differential in the small algebra. In the case of an abelian ideal, this
leads to a complete solution of the Wess-Zumino consistency condition in this
space. As an application, the consistent deformations of 2+1 dimensional
Chern-Simons theory based on iso(2,1) are rediscussed.Comment: 39 pages Latex file, 1 eps figure, typos and proof of lemma 5
correcte
Closedness of star products and cohomologies
We first review the introduction of star products in connection with
deformations of Poisson brackets and the various cohomologies that are related
to them. Then we concentrate on what we have called ``closed star products" and
their relations with cyclic cohomology and index theorems. Finally we shall
explain how quantum groups, especially in their recent topological form, are in
essence examples of star products.Comment: 16 page
Obstacles to the Adoption of Secure Communication Tools
The computer security community has advocated widespread adoption of secure communication tools to counter mass surveillance. Several popular personal communication tools (e.g., WhatsApp, iMessage) have adopted end-to-end encryption, and many new tools (e.g., Signal, Telegram) have been launched with security as a key selling point. However it remains unclear if users understand what protection these tools offer, and if they value that protection. In this study, we interviewed 60 participants about their experience with different communication tools and their perceptions of the tools' security properties. We found that the adoption of secure communication tools is hindered by fragmented user bases and incompatible tools. Furthermore, the vast majority of participants did not understand the essential concept of end-to-end encryption, limiting their motivation to adopt secure tools. We identified a number of incorrect mental models that underpinned participants' beliefs
Supersymmetric sigma models and the 't Hooft instantons
Witten's linear sigma model for ADHM instantons possesses a natural
supersymmetry. We study generalizations of the infrared limit of the model that
are invariant under supersymmetry. In the case of four space-time
dimensions a background with a conformally flat metric and torsion is required.
The geometry is specified by a single real scalar function satisfying Laplace's
equation. It gives rise to 't Hooft instantons for the gauge group ,
instead of the general ADHM instantons for an gauge group in the case
.Comment: 11 pages, Latex fil
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