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Passwords are simple and convenient. Everyone basically understands how they work, and you can keep them in your head (not that you should). EDIT: I'm not sayi
by tlrobinson 10y ago
Passwords are simple and convenient. Everyone basically understands how they work, and you can keep them in your head (not that you should).
EDIT: I'm not saying passwords are ideal, just giving context as to why they haven't been replaced.
- astazangasta 10y agoPasswords are NOT simple and convenient, they are cumbersome and hard-to-remember, cause huge security problems, and are basically only standing on top of the crutch of email forgot-your-password systems.
- tlrobinson 10y agoYes, good passwords are hard to remember, and bad or reused passwords are a security risk, but conceptually passwords are way simpler and more convenient than the alternatives, for the average user. All I need to login from any device in the world is my password. As soon as you introduce tokens or private keys or whatever you need something to securely store that, most likely protected by... a password. I can imagine some crazy implant + biometric authentication scheme but we're a long ways off from that sort of thing being universally accepted.
- astazangasta 10y agoI keep an ssh key on a USB drive on my keychain. The physical analogy to a key is easy to grasp and totally appropriate. You don't expect to get into your house without your keys; similarly, if we turn the key into a physical object on your person, we can build off an existing habit. I don't think this should be terribly difficult.