News

Move over, 4-digit PIN

July 9, 2013

A graphic designer from Nottingham, England, believes he's invented an identifier that's simpler and more secure than the four-digit PIN that ATM users the world over have relied upon for umpteen years.

Glynn Reynolds, 35, has devised a system that he calls "Tri-Pin." It uses a touchscreen that displays three symbols on each keyboard button — a color, a number and a shape, said an article by the Nottingham Post.

The user selects a code comprising four of these attributes — for instance, heart, seven, purple, star. With each visit to the ATM, shapes and colors are shuffled on the screen, so that the key sequence constantly changes. 

"There are thousands and thousands of combinations, so it's unlikely the symbols will be in the same position next time," Reynolds told the Post.

The Royal Bank of Scotland told the inventor that his invention would most likely cause criminals to change from ATM skimming to back-end systems hacking, with no real gain in security. 

Still, Reynolds' invention is currently being used in an app for mobile devices that helps secure personal information — such as a PIN number.

Read more about security.