Security News > 2021 > May > Cybersecurity Experts Share Thoughts for World Password Day
World Password Day was created by Intel in 2013 to raise awareness of the need for strong passwords, but many experts now use the occasion to urge organizations to replace passwords with other, more secure authentication methods.
World Password Day is observed every year on the first Thursday of May, and in 2021 that is today, May 6.
Several cybersecurity professionals have shared thoughts for World Password Day, including on the future of passwords and better alternatives.
"Passwords are a problem. Passwords are inconvenient and riskier than other authentication options available today because they can be guessed, stolen, or cracked. While we won't see passwords go completely away anytime soon, a passwordless approach could be the answer to many user friction and security challenges. A recent VISA survey found consumers are ready to leave the password behind. Seventy percent of consumers believe that biometrics are always more comfortable as they do not involve memorizing passwords."
"World Password Day 2021 is more important than ever as organizations grapple with the new reality of 'work from anywhere' and the fast adoption of the hybrid workplace trend. Cybercriminals will capitalize on any opportunity to collect credentials from unsuspecting victims. Just recently, scammers began preying on people eagerly awaiting vaccinations or plans to return to the office as a means to swipe their personal data and logins, for instance."
"Passwords are the bane of the security team's existence. Users use weak passwords, reuse the same passwords, refuse to change passwords, or simply forget them and need help resetting passwords. I thought self-service password reset options would have alleviated the help desk from resetting user passwords. However, it still turns out 20% to 50% of all IT help desk tickets are still for password resets."