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Password security: an empirical study

Published: 01 March 1999 Publication History

Abstract

Organizations are more dependent than ever on the reliable operation of their information systems, which have become a key to their success and effectiveness. While the growing dependence on information systems creates an urgent need to collect information and make it accessible, the proliferation of computer technology has also spawned opportunities for ill-intentioned individuals to violate the information systems' integrity and validity.One of the most common control mechanisms for authenticating users of computerized information systems is the use of passwords. However, despite the widespread use of passwords, little attention has been given to the characteristics of their actual use. This paper addresses the gap in evaluating the characteristics of real-life passwords and presents the results of an empirical study on password usage. It investigates the core characteristics of user-generated passwords and associations among those characteristics.

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Published In

cover image Journal of Management Information Systems
Journal of Management Information Systems  Volume 15, Issue 4
March 1999
228 pages

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M. E. Sharpe, Inc.

United States

Publication History

Published: 01 March 1999

Author Tags

  1. access control
  2. information system security
  3. passwords
  4. user authentication

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