A systematic review of graphical password methods resistant to shoulder-surfing attacks

Graphical passwords have emerged as an alternative to traditional alphanumeric passwords, offering potentially better memorability. However, they are often vulnerable to shoulder-surfing attacks, where attackers observe users entering their credentials. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) addresses this critical gap by comprehensively analyzing existing graphical password methods resistant to shoulder-surfing attacks. A review protocol was developed to systematically search, conduct, and report the SLR. Two authors searched six databases and extracted the data from 183 articles. The review sheds light on effective graphical password methods resistant to shoulder-surfing attacks, evaluation methods used to evaluate these methods, and challenges hindering the adoption of graphical passwords as the mainstream authentication method. By synthesizing existing research, this SLR serves as a guide for future investigations and contributes to the development of more secure authentication methods.