CAPTCHA Design: Color, Usability, and Security

Abstract

Most user interfaces use color, which can greatly enhance their design. Because the use of color is typically a usability issue, it rarely causes security failures. However, using color when designing CAPTCHAs, a standard security technology that many commercial websites apply widely, can have an impact on usability and interesting but critical implications for security. Here, the authors examine some CAPTCHAs to determine whether their use of color negatively affects their usability, security, or both.