DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FOLDER LOCKER APPLICATION FOR WINDOWS OS USING C#NET

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

1.1     Background of the Research

Because of the increasing threat to computer system and the information they store and process are valuable resources which need to be protected. Authentication refers to the techniques where users have to prove the claim of their identity to the identifier. There are many techniques through which users can be authenticated. Some of the password authentication techniques are knowledge based, token based, and biometric. Text password based technique and graphical password based technique comes under knowledge based authentication technique. A text password is a secret word or string of character that is used for user authentication to proven identity or for access approval to gain access to a resource. The easier a password is for the owner to remember generally means it will be easier for an attacker to guess.

However, passwords which are difficult to remember may also reduce the security of a system because 1) user might need to write down or electronically store the password, 2) users will need frequent password resets and 3) users are more likely to re-use same password. Unfortunately, these passwords are broken mercilessly by intruders by several simple means such as masquerading, Eaves dropping and other rude means say dictionary attacks, shoulder surfing attacks, social engineering attacks [25]. A graphical based password is one promising alternatives of textual passwords, as according to human psychology, humans brain can recall or memories the visual thing in a well manner than text[24]. In graphical password based technique sequence of images are uses which are more memorable than sequence of characters. There are many graphical based password scheme is available. Of interest herein are cued-recall click-based graphical passwords. Example systems include passpoint, cued click points and persuasive cued click points. The guessing attacks capture attack, and hotspot problems reduce the security of passpoints and cued click points[15]. To overcome this we are trying to implement persuasive cued click points technique that is here we are using image password for authentication and security and we are also implementing SHA for encrypting the folder to provide more security to folder. The paper is structured as follow. We discuss about graphical password technique, persuasive cued click point, methodology, modules description, application, security and conclusion.

Locking folders is the best way to guarantee that nobody accidentally or intentionally gets access to your financial, health, private, and confidential information. Presently used password based systems have a number of associated inconveniences and problems such as user needs to remember passwords, passwords can be guessed or broken down via brute force and also there is problem of non-repudiation. Image password seems to be a better way out.

1.2     Statement of research problem

Providing security to the folder is most challenging job for the developers to be developed which will neither access or decrypted by the crackers. Information seekers tend to handle a system and searches all the system folders seeking for information from the system which can be used by them. Friends have turn out to be more of a treat than a friend, because the fact that you gave them access to your system, they explore it and made away with your vital credentials on the system. Therefore, the challenge of creating a folder locker need arise, and creating one with a secure and reliable source of authentication.

1.3     Objectives of the study

Due to the statement of this research problem, the researcher has the following objectives to achieve in this study.

1.     Develop a secure system folder locker

2.     Build a new algorithm for the security model of the folder locker application.

3.     Create a windows application for securing any folder with its contents, by setting a pass key for accessing that folder.

4.     The new system design will be an image authentication system and an alternative of alphanumeric one too.

1.4     Significance of the study

This research work is significance to its core of objectives and achievements. This work well enhance the security level of ones privacy on his system. It will be a one-step project to the level at which information is high jack from the hackers.

The research will also be beneficial to the researcher. This is because the study will expose the researcher to so many related areas in the course of carrying out his research. This will enhance the researcher’s experience, knowledge and understanding on real live application and solution solving techniques.

1.5     Scope of the study

This research work is centered on system application for security validation of folder access control and its content. Therefore, this study will work out only for the application which is a folder locker using an image model or alphanumeric pass key for validation means or authentication.

1.6     Limitation of the study

Inaccessibility to some documents, which arose due to security, imposed on some of the organization documents by the management. It was not also possible to make an in-dept study of these documents, which would have helped in the development of the project work.

Time was a major limitation to this write up, there wasn’t enough time to study the details of the various field of the information department of the organization unavailability of textbook needed for this write – up was not found in the institution library.

1.7       Motivation for study

Before I embarked on this research work, a careful study with a feasibility study was carried out by me, I discovered that my friends keep having access to my private files in the folder where they are kept. What actually motivated me to carry out this work was for the reason that, I made once visited my friend, a computer wizard and he had do much trust on me and left me with his system and I took an advantage of it, I searched all his system folders and files and explore it, copied some of the project he is working on, al his data that I should not have access to. Third parties information was all copied by me. After that, on a second tough I think the same way someone else can do same to me, I had to come up with an idea of a folder locker where my personal data will be saved and secured from anyone using my system to have access to.

1.8     Likely contribution to knowledge

This research work will expose the researcher and also the readers to so many skills and enhance their programming ability as the software for this research work will be develop using a sophisticated programming language of object oriented, which is a high level program language. Therefore to the research more research writing skill, more coding ability, more understanding on solving real life situation. To the end users it will be of great benefits to them as it will reduce the number of error prone by the manual process of their operation, systematically keep track of sales and stocks and sales inventory.

1.9     Definition of terms

Encryption - is the process of encoding messages or information in such a way that only authorized parties can read it.

Decryption - The process of decoding data that has been encrypted into a secret format. Decryption requires a secret key or password.

Lock - a mechanical device used to secure items of importance.

A password - is a word or string of characters used for user authentication to prove identity or access approval to gain access to a resource (example: an access code is a type of password), which is to be kept secret from those not allowed access.

Authentication - is a process in which the credentials provided are compared to those on file in a database of authorized users' information on a local operating system or within an authentication server.

Validation - is act of confirming that a user details meets the needs of its users

Software: These are program for computer which allows certain specific task to be accomplished e.g. word process etc.

Hardware: Computer equipment used to perform input processing and system output activates.