We can do better with passwords
October 28th, 2008 | by geo |Passwords are an obstacle. We are too often forced to remember numerous combinations of numbers and letters for our various online accounts, devices, computer logins, and even home entertainment systems.
Can’t we do better than the good ole character password system? Here’s an example I just went through opening a new account (non security related)
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It must contain between 6 and 32 characters. Use only characters from the following set: ! # $ % & ( ) * + , – . / 0123456789 : ; < = > ? @ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ [ \ ] _ ` abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz { | } ~
It must contain at least 1 letter(s) (ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz).
It must contain at least 1 numeric character(s) (0123456789).
It must not contain more than 2 identical consecutive characters (AAA, iiii, $$$$$ …).
It must not contain your user name.
It must not contain your email address.
Can’t we do a picture combination, or a pattern recognition system we can drag our mouse over ?… something besides these brain challenges? See the new Google Android password requirements. I think they’re going down the right track.
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One Response to “We can do better with passwords”
By Matt on Oct 29, 2008 | Reply
I like the KittenAuth idea: http://www.thepcspy.com/kittenauth
There was another project where you had to remember a set of images and it displayed a grid. You had to click 3 images on the grid that form a triangle around an image from your password set. Repeat 3 times and you’ve all but guaranteed that you know the images in your set, without giving away which images they are (because you work around them, you don’t click them directly). It’s like going to your ATM and typing 7, 2, and 9 to select a 5; if it were a larger grid nobody would be SURE you wanted a 5.