4 ms·

Yet nobody uses 4 digit passwords. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_identification_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_identification_number

• jolmg 7y ago
  But they can if they want. Fundamentally, I think PINs in the traditional sense are just passwords with a tradition of particular password requirements. You can also mention passphrases and say how they're different from passwords, but you can put passwords in fields labeled passphrases and passphrases in fields labeled passwords. They're all functionally the same. EDIT: From the Password Wikipedia article[1] > In general, a password is an arbitrary string of characters including letters, digits, or other symbols. If the permissible characters are constrained to be numeric, the corresponding secret is sometimes called a personal identification number (PIN). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password
  • xaduha 7y ago
    Not sending PIN over the network is the most important distinction between a proper PIN and a password. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/hello-for-business/hello-why-pin-is-better-than-password https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-p...
    • jolmg 7y ago
      From the Wikipedia article you shared: > In common usage, PINs are used in [...] internet transactions or to log into a restricted website. EDIT: Also, the IRS uses PINs online[1]: > Your IP PIN will be displayed to you online once we verify your identity. A new IP PIN is generated for each filing season and can be retrieved starting in mid-January of each year by logging into the account you create. They even allow you to enter it on paper[2]: > Paper Return: [...] Enter your IP PIN(s) as applicable in the boxes marked "Identity Protection PIN" in signature area of the return. EDIT 2: There are also many employee time-clocks that use PINs to authenticate the employees, like this one[3]. You can connect to them through the network to export some nifty reports that includes everyone's PIN, like this one[4]. I'm sure use of PINs is also common with ERPs and POS systems (to authenticate a cashier supervisor authorizing some action), and those are also networked. EDIT 3: On the Microsoft link you provided, they're talking specifically about the PINs in Windows 10. I wouldn't take that page as talking about all PINs in general. [1] https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identi... [2] https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-identity-protection-personal-identification-number-ip-pin#q10 https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/frequently-as... [3] https://www.alliedtime.com/Compumatic-XLS-21-Badge-Time-Clock-System-p/compumatic-xls21.htm https://www.alliedtime.com/Compumatic-XLS-21-Badge-Time-Cloc... [4] https://www.alliedtime.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/pdfs/compumatic_reports.pdf https://www.alliedtime.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/pdfs/com...