What is a Password?
A password is a string of characters used to access online accounts in conjunction with a username. They are collectively known as your login credentials. Strong passwords differ in length and include a mix of upper and lowercase characters, digits, and symbols. A longer and more complicated password will better protect an account.
How Does a Password Work?
- Passwords are used for authentication to the apps or websites, therefore they are extensively supported across several systems and platforms.
- Passwords are often saved on servers, either unencrypted or hashed.
- The user enters a password during authentication, which is then compared to the stored value. If the two match, the user is granted access.
Benefits of Passwords
- Ease of implementation: Password-based authentication is simple for service providers to deploy and does not require specific infrastructure.
- Accessibility: Passwords are simple to share or convey, allowing numerous individuals to access accounts or in emergency scenarios.
- Incremental security measures: Two-factor authentication (2FA) can be easily combined with passwords to provide additional safety.
- Familiarity and compatibility: Passwords have been the main factor of authentication technique for decades, therefore they are extensively supported across a variety of systems and platforms.
Passwords vs Passkeys
Passwords are generated by the individual user, whereas passkeys are generated automatically by public key cryptography. It’s strongly suggested that a password is secret, usually paired with a username to provide authentication. Passkeys are not only phishing-resistant but also error-proof. Users cannot make mistakes while generating a passkey, as they may when creating passwords.