A Pattern of Security Passlogy Co., Ltd. IP

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Category: IoT and Software

Tech firm Passlogy is making safety simple

Online banking and other financial services can be vulnerable to stolen passwords and other hacking. As the world moves towards a more paperless society, protecting vital financial information becomes more important. Passlogy’s “PassLogic” solution combines ease of use with high security, making it more cost-effective and convenient for users.

Customers of banks, financial companies and other firms that secure personal or financial information often require extensive passwords to access their accounts. Sometimes, clients even need to use separate cards or security devices – also called tokens – in combination with regular sign-in information.


PassClip app


Sample password using PassLogic, courtesy of Passlogy Co., Ltd.

Tokyo-based Passlogy has developed a system that does away with tokens and extra security cards. The key characteristic of the firm’s main product, called PassLogic, is the utilization of a matrix of shapes or patterns on a keyboard. The strength of this system is that a user needs only to recall a shape or pattern, rather than a confusing number or password combination.

“What is unique to our company is the tokenless, one-time password,” says Kenzo Fujii, Passlogy’s director of international sales promotion. “What I mean by tokenless is that we don’t need any other devices (to gain access).”

Logic and Simplicity

PassLogic’s main selling feature is that it works by utilizing a predetermined pattern, chosen either by individual users, or perhaps by their employers or companies. This predetermined pattern is all a user needs to remember to access their information or accounts.

“Each individual can make their own unique pattern,” Fujii explains. “Let’s say you chose a pattern in the shape of a ‘V’. Each time, the grid of numbers might change, consisting of random numbers. But the pattern stays the same. So if you make the secret pattern as a letter ‘V’, you only have to remember positions.”

The beauty of the PassLogic system is that it saves companies the expense of sending customers separate hardware tokens, something Passlogy claims could cut up to 80% of a firm’s security costs. The PassLogic system is also more secure because keyboard patterns are more difficult to detect than typed numbers or passwords, which can be easily recorded by hidden cameras or other hacking methods. Eliminating the need for iris or fingerprint readers also cuts down on potentially bulky extra equipment that customers might find difficult to use.


Shinichi Mayuzumi, Passlogy’s marketing manager

A Secure Future

Passlogy holds patents in nearly two dozen countries, and PassLogic has already proven popular with banks and corporations here – more than one million users have already subscribed to the system in Japan. The firm’s 5-10 year plan includes a push to reach potential partners overseas that can help sell its security system, upgrades to its existing offerings, and new patents and products. “Our goal is to create a single sign-on system,” says Fujii. “If you are using many applications, you have to make a password for each and every application. But if you use our product, you only need one. A single sign-on solution.”

Based on interview in December 2015.