Password Management, Strong Authentication And The Evolution Of The Internet

The internet has been around for more than a few decades now and each passing year has witnessed something new and exciting for its users. Every new innovation in the cyber world has brought new opportunities for users to take advantage of as entrepreneurs and as end users of information.

But each new innovation has also been responsible for a shadier side of the web – one that exists to create new means to defraud innocent people and cheat them out of their money, time and even their identity and personal information. There have been times when opening one webpage meant being bombarded with pop up ads and unnecessary marketing schemes. These pop-ups brought viruses with them as well, making people more and more apprehensive about whether they ought to be using the internet at all. Then came the age when the web became cleaner and easier to use. Unnecessary bombardment of advertisements was controlled and even the anti- virus softwares became smarter and more efficient in keeping viruses and malware away. And so the reach of the web expanded exponentially, with people trusting the technology again and using it to exchange ideas, information and knowledge, so much so that now it is almost impossible to imagine any work being executed without the help of the internet.

But did that shady side of the web lose its existence? No..

It became more advanced too and so these days, if you want to ensure the security of your data you have to use a lot more than a simple password. Of course, most websites and information portals still use passwords only to secure the identity of their members’ data but the protection has almost been tripled. Various strong authentication methods are now used to ensure that only the person intended to see the data is allowed to see it. They use everything from two factor authentication to even Biometric identification solutions for the purpose of protection the integrity of user information.

When I talk about strong authentication, it means using more than just a password for data protection. It means using two to three factors, all user defined, to prove your credibility to the system and therefore gain access to your account and information. These factors will of course include a password but they will also include say a security question or maybe a verified IP address identification to ensure that only the intended user is gaining access to the data. Some portals even make use of biometric authentication factors like fingerprint scans, retina scans and voice recognition to ensure data security. All in all, the systems on the web are becoming more and more fool proof by the day.

Terms like password management and strong authentication are commonplace these days and you too will do well by getting a good understanding about them. Companies like http://www.digitalpersona.com/ offer the best two factor authentication and identification solutions on the web. You can therefore, begin your research from this website as they provide the most credible and trustworthy information as well.

About The Author

Benson Hedge is a pioneer in the field of biometric authentication and runs his own organization manufacturing security systems relating to this technology. He also likes to spread awareness about the many aspects related to the industry through the many informative articles he writes.