Protecting Your Passwords: Since the internet came into existence more than three decades ago, internet users have been using passwords to gain access to their various online accounts and platforms. These passwords are kept private to protect the person’s access. However, the advent of AI or artificial Intelligence which has become closer to us more than anything we have ever seen from the internet poses a serious threat that is pushing individuals, businesses, organizations, and more to up their password protection game.
How AI Identify User Passwords
Choosing unique and strong passwords is critical to keeping your information safe. While creating passwords, internet users are often advised to make them strong but sadly, there is still some uninformed populace that still goes for common words like “happiness” and a simple string of numerals like the classic “123456789” as their passwords. Also to be noted are users who prefer to use personal information like their birthdays, anniversaries, hobbies, and names of loved ones. These people forget that this type of information can be easily accessed and unspoken by different AI bots assisting us on a lot of things.
The above-listed category of passwords is considered very weak in this era of artificial intelligence where password cracking only takes a few seconds to give hackers access to people’s accounts with ease. When it is time to crack your password. Brute-force attacks make it so easy and a user can be left vulnerable to cyber thieves.
Ways to Protect Your Password in the AI Age
The answer to the above-mentioned problem is longer and more complex passwords. A recent study by cybersecurity researchers revealed that passwords of 12 characters with only numbers can be cracked in 25 seconds with AI. Conversely, a 12-character password comprising of numerals and lowercase letters can be cracked by consistent brute-force attacks in three weeks. However. If an uppercase is added to the same password, it may take AI platforms up to 289 years to crack the same.
Go for Unique and Strong Passwords
From the foregoing, the best solution to protect passwords from AI is to use a complex combination of numerals, lowercase alphabets, uppercase alphabets, and passphrases in creating your password to make it as complicated as possible.
Leverage Password Managers to Simplify Your Password Management
With the help of a password manager, internet users can generate complex passwords quickly as well as store passwords. This means that a user can create unique and strong passwords for each of his/her numerous accounts without the inherent risk of forgetting any of them. The job of password managers is to simplify password management and help in improving password security.
Enhance Your Password Security with 2FA-Two-Factor Authentication
2FA or two-factor authentication is another reliable security measure when it comes to protecting your password from Artificial Intelligence brute-force attacks. Rather than one password, 2FA requires internet users to provide two different pieces of information to access their accounts.
After providing the first password, the user would receive a code sent via email or phone number which he is expected to cue in before having access to his target account. With this additional step, hackers find it difficult to access accounts on the internet space. For people with very important information in their accounts, the importance of the extra layer of security that 2FA adds cannot be overemphasized.
Avoid Repeating Passwords or Using the Same PIN or Password for a Long Time
When the system prompts you to update your password, avoid reusing the old password or something similar to it. Always go for something totally different at every password change to circumvent the activities of relentless hackers.
AI Can Also Be Used To Achieve Advanced Password Security
The number of internet users leveraging AI to boost their password security measures keeps increasing by the day. Artificial Intelligence can monitor “authentic user behaviour patterns”. With enough information from these observations, it can quickly identify any anomaly related to access, logins, data usage patterns. And more.
Armed with this behaviour analysis. AI can help classify potential threats before they turn into serious issues and take preventive measures. In addition, to significantly enhance overall password security. AI can be integrated with several other security measures to have a robust security infrastructure.
Predictions for Password Security
The Future: Passkeys (Access Keys)
Passkeys or access keys represent a safer login method and the industry is currently pushing for that. These passkeys are stored on a user’s device and they are verified by biometrics. Internet users are seriously anticipating the imminent era of access keys but sadly, adoption appears to be rather too slow.
Beyond Passwords: Identity in the AI Age
From the way technological advancements are going very fast, passwords may yet become obsolete. Complex or complicated seems to be the best way to describe the future of identity as AI now recognise individual faces. Voices and even patterns of walking. However, speech synthesis systems, and deep-fake videos that can imitate people so well may still raise many security concerns. However, the question, “Who are you?” may be the last resort.
To Wrap Up
For internet users, keeping their accounts protected from unauthorized access will always be a top priority. In this era of AI, the importance of using unique and strong passwords. Password managers, 2FA, and more cannot be underrated.
