Student : KD Akilo
About the student
I’m an Honours student passionate about coding, data, and turning ideas into reality through websites and applications. I enjoy building smart, user-friendly solutions that connect people and technology, while constantly exploring new ways to innovate and grow as a developer.
About the Project
This research project develops a next-generation password management system that addresses critical security vulnerabilities in traditional authentication approaches through the integration of zero-knowledge proofs, biometric authentication, and distributed recovery mechanisms. The system eliminates server-side password storage vulnerabilities by implementing client-side encryption using the Web Crypto API, ensuring that servers never have access to plaintext passwords or sensitive authentication data. The project implements a comprehensive multi-factor authentication framework that combines traditional password authentication with advanced biometric capabilities. The system supports both fingerprint recognition and facial recognition, providing users with convenient yet secure authentication options. All biometric data is protected through zero-knowledge proof integration, maintaining user privacy while leveraging the security benefits of biometric authentication. An innovation of this project is the implementation of Shamir's Secret Sharing for secure account recovery. This distributed recovery mechanism allows users to share recovery credentials among trusted contacts without compromising zero-knowledge principles. The system generates configurable threshold-based shares (default: 3 of 5 shares required) that enable secure account recovery while maintaining the privacy-first architecture of the overall system. The implementation utilizes modern web technologies including Next.js, React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS to create an intuitive user interface that makes advanced security features accessible to non-technical users. The system includes comprehensive activity logging, audit trails, and fallback authentication mechanisms to ensure robust security coverage. This research contributes to the field of authentication security by demonstrating the practical feasibility of zero-knowledge authentication systems and establishing new standards for privacy-preserving password management solutions.
