Passwords
A password is a secret string of characters used to verify a user's identity. It remains the most widespread authentication method, but also one of the most vulnerable when reused or weak.
Passwords are the oldest and most widespread authentication method in digital systems: the user memorizes (or is supposed to memorize) a secret string that the system compares, typically as a hash, against the registered one.
Their main weaknesses aren't in the concept itself, but in how they're used: reusing the same password across several services, short or predictable passwords, and database breaches that, once exposed, enable 'credential stuffing' attacks against other services where the user reused the same password.
A password manager like V4ult doesn't eliminate passwords as a concept, but it solves their main practical problem: it lets you use a different, long, random password on every service, without having to memorize them, by storing them encrypted in a vault protected by a single master password.
Newer methods such as passkeys aim to directly replace the use of passwords in authentication, relying on public-key cryptography instead of a shared secret.
Advantages
- Universally supported authentication method
- Requires no additional hardware
- Combined with a password manager, allows unique random passwords per service
Related
Frequently asked questions
Why is it dangerous to reuse the same password across several services?
Because if one service suffers a data breach, an attacker can try that same password (with the same or a similar email address) on other services — an attack known as credential stuffing.
What does a password manager do?
It lets you use a different, random password for every service without having to memorize them, storing them encrypted in a vault protected by a single master password.