A British company has launched an emoji alternative to the traditional four-digit Pin code commonly used for accessing online banking¹.

近日，英国一家公司推出了一套全新的安全系统，该系统使用Emoji表情符号做密码，取代网上银行常用的四位数字密码。

Intelligent Environments says its Emoji Passcode service is more secure because there are more potential combinations of the 44 emojis than there are of the numbers 0-9. It claims some digital banks have already expressed interest in the idea. Memory experts agree that people find it easier to remember images.

智能环境公司（Intelligent Environments）称他们的“表情密码”服务更加安全，原因是44个表情的组合方式远比0-9这十个阿拉伯数字的组合样式更多。该公司宣称，一些电子银行已对此创意感兴趣。记忆专家也表示，人们记图像更为容易。

David Webber, managing director of Intelligent Environments, said the system was designed to appeal to 15-25-year-olds. "Why can't financial service be fun and innovative²?" he said, "It's just another method of logging in." Mr Webber added that his company had not patented the idea. "I don't think it's patentable. But I do think we are the first people to have thought of it," he told the BBC.

智能环境公司总经理大卫·韦伯（David Webber）称，该系统专为15-25岁人群设计。他说，“为什么金融服务不能有趣、新颖呢？这不过是另一种登录方法。”韦伯先生补充道，公司尚未给这一想法申请专利。他告诉BBC，“我不认为这有什么专利可言，但这个创意绝对是前无古人。”

Cybersecurity expert Prof Alan Woodward said that the use of patterns and images was already used by some firms as a useful alternative to remembering complex sequences of numbers and letters. "I think this is an interesting and potentially valuable step forward," he said. "If we persist in using passwords, which seem to be here for a while yet, we need to recognise how humans think and make these as easy to remember as possible. "

网络安全资深教授艾伦·伍德沃德（Alan Woodward）称，有些公司已经采用不同模式、图像的密码，用户就不用记忆一连串复杂数字和字母了。他说，“我认为这很有趣，而且有发展潜力。如果我们坚持使用密码，至少暂时不会弃用密码，我们需要了解人们的思维方式，尽可能让密码更容易记忆。”

Former memory champion Michael Tipper told the BBC the technique for remembering a sequence of either numbers or pictures was essentially³ the same. "Fundamentally we are hard-wired to remember pictures," he said. "However, people are lazy and they will adopt the easiest way through. Statistically⁴ it will be harder to crack - but if you're presented with a screen of emojis and you can't be bothered to remember a sequence you're going to pick the ones in the four corners or the top row - and then you are left with an equally insecure technology."

前记忆冠军迈克尔·蒂珀（Michael Tipper）告诉BBC，记忆数字或图像其实本质上是一样的。他表示，“根本上讲，我们对记忆图像更在行。然而，人都是有惰性的，他们会选择最简单的方法。在统计学上，图像破解难度更大，但你如果面对一屏幕的表情符号，你不想记那么多，你只会选择四个角落或顶行里的表情作为密码，如此一来，表情密码在技术上来说同样不安全。”

Mr Tipper argued that human behaviour could be a major flaw in the idea. "I think what needs to happen is more rigour in terms of testing the behavioural aspect of this."

蒂珀先生称，表情密码的最大弊端在于人的行为方式。“我想接下来要做的事难度更大，因为涉及到研究测试人们使用密码的行为特点。”