Passwords have been around a long time. But do you ever wonder how we got to this stage? Read on to learn about the history of the password and where we currently stand in this Internet driven culture. http://ca.com?mrm=425887

1. A Brief History of the

2. Passwords are the key to your online world. And a strong password is
essential to protecting yourself in this environment.

3. But do you ever wonder how we got to where we are today?

4. Here’s the brief story of how the password has evolved
over the years:

5. The first computer password was developed in 1961 by Fernando
Corbató’s team for MIT’s Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS). CTSS
was a computer designed for multiple users (like computers in a modern
day computer lab).
Photo: MIT Museum, http://www.wired.com/2012/01/computer-password/

6. In a time where computer use was uncommon and expensive,
this was the first attempt at user authentication (ensuring that you are
who you say you are).

7. In 1962, a software bug infected the system’s master password profile
and a list of all CTSS user passwords became available to anyone who
logged in. Or so we thought…

8. In reality, a Ph.D. researcherAllan Scherr printedout all of the CTSS
passwordsin an attempt to increasehis daily usage of the computer.
To spread the blame around, Scherr gave the passwordsto a bunchof
other users. This was the first computer password-relatedsecuritybreach.

9. But as computers started to become mainstream, it became evident
that ‘security standard’ for passwords was needed.

10. Now jumping ahead to 1979, the Data Encryption Standard (DES)
was invented by the National Bureau of Standards. This essentially
raised the bar for what had to be included in a secure password.

11. DES remained the standard for nearly 20 years, but in 1998, the
Electronic Freedom Foundation ended up breaking the DES key in just
56 hours.

12. Jumpingback one year, 1997 was a big year for the password.The
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) was created which would take 255
(that’s 2 to the 55th power)years to crack. This standard is still used today.

13. This same year, Andrei Broder, ChiefScientist for AltaVista createda wayof
generatinga random image of text that computerscannotreadcalled
CAPTCHA.This systemwas updatedby Luis van Ahn in 2009, when he added
securitymeasures moresuitablefor modern day threats.

14. Today, there are many products available that help to minimize the
usage of passwords…

15. Like the Single Sign-On technology that you’re familiar with from apps
like Facebook and Twitter, which lets you automatically log on after
only entering in your password once…

16. and user authentication, which confirms your identity with something
you know, something you are, or something you have.

17. While the password may never go away completely, we are moving
towards a future that includes fewer passwords and more security.

18. But while they are still the norm, check out our 7 tips to creating a
strong password or this additional info on CA Advanced Authentication
to take control of your online identity!