User-in-a-context: A blueprint for context-aware identification

In human history, the dependency on secret phrases - passwords - known to only a selected few in a group has mostly ensured that only those are authorised to access certain resources or information. However, such passwords have also spelled disasters when compromised. Beyond passwords, multi-factor authentication requires the knowledge of or the possession of things other than a password to complete an authentication procedure. The process of uniquely identifying a user has also been achieved through biometric authentication. Any user and her actions are, however, not devoid of context; and may reflect a specific persona of the user. In this short position paper, we describe the blueprint of a generalised context-aware identification - user-in-a-context - that is based on various parameters obtained by sensing the environment and the user; and is, therefore, able to recognise as an entity a particular individual with situational awareness. While such identification can be used in authentication, identifying persona can also help devise better tailored services.