A Brief History of Passwords

Back in the day, the Roman army used “watchwords”—passphrases that proved you were a member of the unit. This early authentication system was a fast way to tell if someone was a friend or an enemy. 

In the 1920s, Prohibition led to the rise of “speakeasy” bars where alcohol was sold illegally and on the down-low. Presenting a card, code phrase, or saying a password was your ticket to getting inside.

In 1961, MIT computer science professor Fernando Corbato created the first digital password as a project problem-solver. When he built a giant time-sharing computer, several users needed their own private access to the terminals. His solution? Give each user their own password.

Today, there are passwords for almost everything. Each person has about 100 of them, and they’re often shared between family, friends, and coworkers. (Netflix, anyone?) Trying to remember all these details on a daily basis has led to major password fatigue.

Gone are the days when it was okay to store passwords on a sticky note or in a spreadsheet. Now, password managers with autofill and essential security features like two-factor authentication (2FA) and biometrics can help you safely access your accounts—on all your devices—in seconds.

We know that security needs vary by industry. That’s why we created industry-specific password playbooks to help secure your unique accounts and protect against your specific vulnerabilities. Check them out below and learn how to start creating, managing, and sharing passwords easily and securely with Dashlane.