The Register has an article on a computer security study. A group of British researchers asked office workers a variety of questions about security, including offering individuals a cheap pen in exchange or divulging their password. Ninety percent of workers cheerfully gave up their passwords. When asked about the origins of their passwords, people identified things like the word "password," their own name, and sports teams. The weak link in computer security is not Microsoft (although the regular "patch and reboot" drill is getting a tad old), but people. The solution? Systems need to be so user-friendly that people won't need to make obvious passwords. The answer probably lies in biometrics (fingerprint scans, etc). We're not there yet, but we will be soon.
Posted by Karl
April 18, 2003 12:35 PM