Social Icons

.

Pages

Monday, July 22, 2013

Open Sesame: A Brief Take on Passwords

Obviously, computers can't be locked in the physical sense to impede unlawful access. The standard security measure computers use to deter unauthorized access is the password prompt, which serves as an electronic lock of sorts. The origins of the password could be traced as far back as the era of the Roman Empire, when the Empire's watchmen would discreetly pass around a “watchword” that only they would know of.

Passwords are still some of the most reliable applications designed for security; hackers can try to crack the code, but it will take them a considerable amount of time to do so. To further bolster security, it's even possible to create rotating passwords that would make access to the system next to impossible for criminals. For all its strengths against decryption, however, passwords can complicate the lives of those using them.

Those who use long and complex passwords might have difficulty remembering such codes. Thankfully, there are password managers that can help users key in their passwords without challenging their memory. They could either come in the form of software (either as an application or a cloud-based service) that safely store a list of passwords for users, or as a portable physical device (such as a USB drive) that keeps the passwords inside them.


No comments:

Post a Comment