Design and Evaluation of an Authentication Framework for Wearable Devices

The demand for wearable technology devices has changed in recent years, due to the fact that wearable devices (WDs) make our lives easier and more comfortable than ever before. WDs are often seen as an extension to mobile devices such as smartphones even thought the size, shape and physical specifications, i.e., the form factors are completely different. The core features of WDs are always accessible and available to users while sole input devices, e.g. keyboard does not exist. In this case, the traditional authentication methods in which users type in passwords on the system can not apply to authenticate WDs. Therefore, this paper introduces an Authentication Framework for Wearable Devices (AFWD) that basically includes an authentication model designed for WDs, capable of creating reliable and secure authentication techniques. Subjective and objective assessment of the AFWD showed that it provides usability, deployability, and security and that people are willing to use it if available. Such a framework is crucial for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) as it provides reliability and trustworthiness of the data transmitted via WDs.