A Novel Cue based Picture Word Shape Character Password Creation Scheme

2. Passwords

A password “is a secret (typically a character string) that a claimant uses to authenticate its identity” (Scarfone and Souppaya, 2009). Passwords are the first line of defence in many information systems and this highlights the importance of password security, but Taneski et al. (2014) concluded that “the computer community has not made a very much-needed shift in password management for more than 35 years”. Over thirty years ago, Morris and Thompson (1979) found that the majority of user’s passwords were too short, contained only lower case letters or digits, and were easily found in dictionaries. Looking at information released recently it can be seen that little has changed. SplashData (2014), a company that develops password management applications, compiles a list of the most commonly used passwords and posts this annually. In 2013, the top password was “123456” followed closely by “password”, “admin”, and “monkey”, to list a few other examples. These passwords provide little protection as they can be guessed very easily and despite increased advice on password creation with the multitude of user accounts today, users still tend to create weak passwords. With the large increase in internet connected users in recent years, the number of online accounts has grown rapidly. Many of these accounts such as email, social networks, and online banking contain personal information meaning password security should not be a compromise. As well as multiple online accounts, users may have to create and remember passwords for a growing number of devices such as their PCs, tablets, and phones.