Infosec Story Time: The Past, Present, and Future of Passwords

Ty Chaston
July 03, 2019

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It doesn’t matter what account you try to log into, or what device you’re using. You will always be asked to input a password to get access to it, to make sure you are who you claim to be. If an account or a device does not have a password protecting it, then it’s vulnerable to almost every cyber threat there is.

Passwords are the most fundamental part of any security measure. Ever since the olden days, passwords were used to verify that you could trust somebody before giving them access. Today, devices use passwords to ensure that a person is a legitimate user of any kind of technology.

Yet, passwords are just one kind of security measure. New security technologies are being developed that improve device protection, pushing the boundaries of security beyond what passwords could ever do. And this security technology is already being included in modern devices.

Keep reading below to learn about why passwords are so important in the security world, how they were originally used, and how they can change in the future.

Passwords Were Around Before Computers

Secrets and security have been around from the dawn of time. Ever since there has been information, people developed ways to protect it. One of those ways was with passwords.

Travelers used to need to say a password to enter cities or specific buildings. Clandestine groups exchanged passwords so that members could identify each other in plain sight. Before there were ever computers, people practiced basic cryptography and encryption with passwords.

They kept people safe, and now, passwords are used to keep people safe in the digital world.

Password Strength Is Crucial to Online Security

Your accounts and devices are only as secure as the passwords you use to protect them. Hackers have developed sophisticated cracking techniques and implemented them into tools almost anyone can use. By knowing the right people, even an average internet user can hack people’s accounts.

The only way to prevent this is to make your passwords strong. They should be as long as possible, with a random selection of numbers and letters. The more special characters you include in your passwords, the better they are.

You should also use a password manager for all of your passwords. These generate random strings of characters to use for your accounts and automatically stores them. That way, hackers won’t be able to guess your passwords, and you’ll always know what they are.

Future Tech Will Have More Security

Security technologies have advanced to the point where passwords are extending beyond strings of characters. Biometric data is becoming a common way to access devices. You can guess a password to get into a person’s phone, but you can’t copy their fingerprints!

Biobehavioral security is also finding a place in the digital world. With this security technology, computer systems will be able to tell when they’ve been hacked and protect themselves, and you too!

The more cybercrime plagues the internet, the more that people understand the importance of strong security. And the more that people get interested in cybersecurity, the more it’ll improve.

Passwords Can Still Be Cracked

No matter how strong you make your passwords, you should understand that they can always be cracked. Hackers are always developing new ways to access your accounts and steal information. All you can do is try to stay one step ahead of them.

To do that, contact us here. We won’t just protect you from hackers; we’ll also give you the tools you need to stay safe from cybercriminals yourself!

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