Many computer-related applications incorporate some level of security to restrict user access. For example, in many applications, it is often necessary that a user of a computer provide a password to log on to a computer and corresponding network. The use of a password provided by a user affords at least some level of protection against intruders that would otherwise tamper with a computer and its contents.
Although the use of a password can be advantageously incorporated in many applications, there are sometimes drawbacks associated with their use. For instance, a user can forget a password if it is not used for an extended period of time. In some cases, a user can forget his or her password after returning from a long vacation.
To make matters worse, some systems require a user to change the password on a periodic basis for heightened security. This only adds to the difficulty of keeping track of a password at any given time. Even if a password is written on a piece of paper for later reference, the paper can be easily lost or destroyed, thwarting its purpose.
A password is also easily replicated to the extent that it can be transferred from one person to another by word of mouth. Thus, if a hacker breaks into a computer system and retrieves a user's password, this key is easily passed on to other vandals who can then tamper with a computer system and its contents. Moreover, a user that is assigned a password can misplace his or her trust in a friend who carelessly reveals a password to others even though it was intended to be kept secret.
These potential drawbacks are particularly disturbing since a corporation's most valuable asset is quite often information accessible by a user logging onto a password-protected computer.