The creation of the first computer password is generally attributed to an MIT professor back in 1961, but the use of words or phrases as a means of access dates back much further in history. Ancient Roman soldiers guarding city gates at night are said to have used “watchwords” to challenge fellow soldiers approaching at night who wanted to enter the city. If they didn’t know the current watchword, the gates remained closed until morning.
Using passwords to restrict access makes sense in many cases. However, Roman soldiers and MIT scholars in the 1960s likely did not need to memorize more than a single password at a given time. Today, almost every program, application, device, service and system has one, which means that typical users may require 50 passwords or more.
It’s no wonder that many people resort to using simple words they can remember or even the same password for multiple accounts, both of which are strongly discouraged as standard cybersecurity practices. Password managers can help but are often themselves protected by a master password.
Into this confusing and complex landscape comes the Ivanti Zero Sign-On platform, which has done the seemingly impossible by eliminating the need for passwords altogether. It does this by shifting the authentication process to the devices themselves and using biometrics so that, from a user perspective, access to the programs and platforms required for work is almost seamless.
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