- Let’s take a trip down memory lane. When the web first started, the most popular password of all times was ‘12345’, and ever since the 1990s, we have been following the same patterns when it comes to creating passwords. Studies have shown that a staggering 59% of people use the same password everywhere, and regardless of this, roughly 90% of passwords can be cracked in less than 6 hours.
- How exactly does one ‘crack’ a password?
- Phishing links
- Dictionary and brute-force attacks
- Credential stuffing
- Man in the Middle
- With more firms and companies adapting to a remote working environment, the need for data security has prompted a rise in MFA roll-out.
- It is worth noting that MFA is not only a product of the digital age. When you withdraw money at the ATM, both your bank card (possession) and your PIN (knowledge) is required.
- Some technology firms are looking into AI-based algorithms that analyse the users’ typing biometric as a second way of authentication, by matching patterns on how people type on their keyboards. Google is reportedly starting to do something similar, analysing things such as subtle mouse movements on webpages to decide if the user is human or robot.
– Jennivine Chen | January 31, 2021
