Abstract: One aspect of the present invention provides a mechanism for recognizing and distinguishing between human would-be users of websites and automated agents attempting to gain unauthorized access to the website. More particularly, when a website server receives a registration request from a would-be user, a distorted image of a common object (e.g. a house, cat, etc.) is generated. The distorted image is shown to the would-be user, and the user must insert the correct name of the object depicted in the image to gain access to the website. By placing a limit on the time interval in which a user can provide a correct identification of the displayed object, this embodiment attempts to harness the conceptual and cognitive reasoning facilities of human users to distinguish them from automated agents. The challenge to the user is enhanced by restricting the correct identification to the language of the browser viewing the website.