R.I.P. Password

R.I.P. Password

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Apr 16, 2014

If you’re like me, you love a movie with a good plot…one filled with unexpected twists and turns that keeps your attention, and sprinkle in a little bit of emotional baggage, then add a R.I.P. Password murder plot to the mix, and you’ve got the next Oscar-winning movie! Throughout this type of movie, each moment is carefully planned to ensure viewer engagement and interest stays piqued. The same is true in the mobile world, only the plot here revolves around the murder of the password by biometrics. (Weird, scary music can be heard in the background.)

The setting opens up in the 1960’s where people used mainframes housed in an entire room. These time-sharing computers required a user to enter their login name and password, telling the computer who was sitting at the terminal and which files to make available. Back then, stealing someone’s password was a practical joke. There was only one computer where you could use your credentials and not too much personal information was displayed.

Fast forward 50 years, and look what the right password can do: allow you to read emails, order products, hijack cloud-storage accounts, even delete every trace of someone’s digital life! And, all this and more can be done anywhere as long as there’s an internet connection.

Here enters the character, PayPal, who in 2010 decided to consult with their head of security, a fingerprint security entrepreneur and a renowned cryptographer to establish an easier way to log into PayPal. Two years later, the FIDO Alliance was launched, a group trying to wean companies off passwords for good; hence, the murderer takes center stage to kill the password.

According to the members of FIDO, if people log into their computers with fingerprint readers, sites could log them in automatically using the Zero-Knowledge Proof protocol that proves a successful identification has been made without giving away details. Therefore, a single device could authenticate someone to the entire web.

Take the iPhone 5s, for example. You always have a finger with you and in this day, you always have your phone, so logging in isn’t an issue. The combination of finger and phone makes security much harder to break, and it looks like there’s no room for a password credential.

This never-ending story came to a halt on April 11th with the arrival of Samsung’s new Galaxy S5, complete with a fingerprint reader, but this reader is special. It plugs directly into PayPal which connects the user to dozens of different payment systems. Instead of a password, all that’s needed is a fingerprint to carry the user through the entire web.

RIP password.

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.