World Password Day is on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
The event, which started in 2013, is held on the first Thursday of May to raise awareness about the need of generating complex passwords and implementing password best practices to protect sensitive data.
Passwords were first used to protect accounts from unauthorized access in the 1960s. MIT researchers utilized the Compatible Time-Sharing System for the first time in 1961. (CTSS). Users could log in through a dumb terminal on an IBM 709. Passwords were used to secure users’ personal data.
The system is commonly thought to be one of the first to employ passwords, as well as one of the first to suffer a password leak. Allan Scherr, an MIT Ph.D. researcher, required more than his permitted 4-hour CTSS time to run performance simulations he had created for the computer system in the mid-1960s. He figured out how to print out all of the system’s passwords and utilize them to acquire more time.
While biometric identifiers and Single Sign-on are gaining popularity, passwords are projected to remain the most widely used way of authenticating users and controlling account access for many years to come.
History of World Password Day
In his 2005 book Perfect Passwords, security expert Mark Burnett recommended individuals have a “password day,” where they update critical passwords.
When he came up with the idea, Intel Security took it and made the first Thursday in May World Password Day in May 2013. Password Day, which was started by Big Monocle in 2016, is meant to make people aware of how important it is to keep their passwords safe.
World Password Day presents an IT challenge: Make sure employees come up with long and hard-to-guess passwords by enforcing login restrictions. There is no need to use the password “Monday12345678.”
It is dangerous for employees to use the same passwords for both work and personal sites. You need to do this: The sooner your company stops using passwords, the better it will be. If you can’t get rid of your passwords, use a password manager that everyone else does.
People in the IT department, for example, should make sure that multi-factor authentication is turned on. Even though your team is at work and at home, remind them to always use unique passwords for every website that they go to.
Importance of Creating Strong Password
World Password Day aims to increase awareness about password security risks. Cybercriminals often use stolen passwords to access accounts. Employees are targeted through email, phone (vishing), or text message phishing (SMiShing).
Two-factor authentication will help. Microsoft claims that two-factor authentication prevents over 99 percent of automated account assaults.
Hackers use brute-force attacks to find out about default credentials that haven’t been changed and weak passwords. As long as there is no rate limiting, a password that is easy to figure out can be cracked in milliseconds. Too short passwords can be hacked in seconds or minutes, and they can be very easy to find out.
In 2020, Hive Systems showed a picture of how long it takes a hacker to try to guess a password. The table is updated every year to keep up with new technology.
The best way to keep yourself safe is to use passwords that include numbers, symbols, upper- and lower-case letters, and enough characters.
Some Steps to Becoming Passwordless
As soon as a company decides to go passwordless, the first thing to do is to centralize the way users are able to log in (single sign-on). To make sure your business doesn’t get stolen, add multi-factor authentication. This method is the best way for businesses to protect themselves.
In the next step, use risk scoring and different passwordless access methods to gradually get rid of passwords.
Passwordless authentication is when you use things like fingerprints, facial scans, QR codes, trusted devices, or a magic link to get into your account. FIDO (Fast Identity Online) is an industry-standard for password-free authentication, but it needs extra applications or devices to work.
The Future of Passwords
However, passwords can be a security risk, and they’re likely to be used for a long time to come, too. For the past 60 years, people have used passwords to get into their computers.
Passwordless authentication allows IT managers, to keep looking for the best security while also making it easier for people to use their computers. In the future, people will be able to do things like user authentication and risk in their businesses to get rid of passwords.
What To Do on World Password Day?
- Passwords should not be stored on your computer or phone.
- When you’re finished with a program, log out.
- Temporary internet files should be deleted on a regular basis.
- Replace an outdated password with a long, strong one.
- Set up two-factor authentication for your critical accounts.
- Protect your wireless router with a password.
World Password Day Date in Future
These are the dates when we can celebrate this day.
- 5 May 2022
- 4 May 2023
- 2 May 2024
- 1 May 2025
- 7 May 2026
- 6 May 2027
- 4 May 2028
- 3 May 2029
- 2 May 2030
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