Created Wed 7th Jan 2009 3:11pm PST by

deanthoreau

Will Microsoft's CAPTCHA project Assira be ready for prime time by Dec '09?

Settled as No

Background: Security researchers say that spammers have found ways of circumventing the CAPTCHA test protocols used to protect free email services, and that new approaches are needed to prevent spammers from abusing these systems. Spammers have developed several techniques to defeat CAPTCHAs, including using mechanical turks, people who either directly or indirectly create accounts traded online. Other spammers use software to crack CAPTCHAs, which is what CAPTCHA security researchers have focused on preventing. Microsoft is working to enhance its CAPTCHA system to make it both more readable for people and less vulnerable to automated attacks. Some improvements include new image distortion logic, overlapping characters, and dynamic monitoring to observe attacks in real time to make quick adjustments. One Microsoft CAPTCHA project, dubbed Asirra, asks users to identify 12 photographs as either cats or dogs. Another project, called Inkblot Authentication, asks users to form semantic associations with a set of randomly generated inkblot-like images, which are used to authenticate the user. Asirra is already in use as a prototype at several organizations. Microsoft researcher John Douceur says the challenge in designing a CAPTCHA is creating a way of generating several unique instances of the test and making it possible for the system to easily determine whether the user answered the CAPTCHA correctly
sources:
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Spammers-War-Against-CAPTCHA-Requires-New-Approaches/

Settlement details:As reported by a major mainstream news source.
If it has not been announced by suspend date question will settle as a no.

Forecast history %

Yes

96%

Settled as No on Sat 2nd Jan 2:06pm PST

Activity: H$38,915
Predictions: 26
Comments: 1

Suspend date: Thu 31st Dec 2009 11:59pm PST
Settlement date: Sat 2nd Jan 2:06pm PST
Prediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Thu 31st Dec 2009 11:59pm PST have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled

Initial likelihoods: Yes: 25%

Action history:

Created Wed 7th Jan 2009 3:11pm PST by

deanthoreau

Suspended Thu 31st Dec 2009 11:59pm PST : Suspend date reached

Settlement requested Fri 1st Jan 4:44am PST by

mungo10 Level 14, Prophet (H$228,060)

: no - no news and it's 2010.

Settled as 'No' Sat 2nd Jan 2:06pm PST by

nigeleccles [Admin]

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Predictions (26)

11 weeks ago

peterwindlehill Level 13, Psychic (H$70,968)

predicted No (H$2,000 at 90%)

14 weeks ago

ghosttie Level 12, Guru (H$25,887)

predicted No (H$979 at 74%)

16 weeks ago

jbbdude Level 8, Super-Pro (H$5,034)

predicted No (H$30 at 73%)

23 weeks ago

tim14

predicted No (H$50 at 73%)

23 weeks ago

ghosttie Level 12, Guru (H$25,887)

predicted No (H$100 at 73%)

Comments (1)

deanthoreau

Just to specify what Prime Time means: Will they implement Assira into their programs to prevent spam.

posted 1 year ago

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