World Password Day: Reiterating the importance of passwords
World Password Day was created by Intel in 2013 to raise awareness about the importance of strong passwords. It is marked on the first Thursday of May every year. With time, we have realized how a long password isn't enough to keep information safe digitally, but that it has to be unique and strong to be uncrackable by anyone who attempts to defraud you.
Fernando Corbató was the first person to introduce modern computer passwords in the 1960s. He backed using passwords to allow researchers to access private research files at MIT. Mark Brunett, conferred for the first time in 2005, on the idea of celebrating a day of passwords in his book Perfect Passwords. Using multi-factor authentication and hardware-based security keys can be safer than just passwords.
Living in a highly digitized world we have too much data stored in digital platforms. It gets tough to keep track of all the passwords, so we often keep the same password for everything, thus putting our information at risk of online fraud. An additional security layer is a wise thing to do. These include--two-factor authentication, Single-Use Code, FIDO Security Key, and Face Recognition.
When a password is combined with another step, the login process becomes much more secure against unauthorized access. This is usually known as multi-layer authentication which goes beyond a password to protect sensitive information. Multi-factor authentication enables a feature for accounts allowing you to verify yourself in two ways--a password and a second "factor" which can be any of the above-mentioned methods.
Experts believe that the presence of new technology should someday lead to the elimination of passwords. Fast Identity Online (FIDO) allows users to use biological features or a FIDO key instead of a password. Fingerprint login and face recognition are two such methods. Eliminating passwords reduces the risk of cyber fraud and breaches. People also prefer apps and devices that don't ask for passwords.
