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      The Forgotten Password: A Solution to Selecting, Securing and Remembering Passwords

      Filmer-Clark, Tracy Jane
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      Filmer-Clark, T. J. (2008). The Forgotten Password: A Solution to Selecting, Securing and Remembering Passwords (Thesis, Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/3269
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/3269
      Abstract
      Internet passwords are required of us more and more. Personal experience

      and research shows us that it is difficult to create and remember unique passwords

      that meet security requirements. This study tested a unique method of password

      generation based on a selection of mnemonic aids aimed at increasing the

      usability, security and memorability of passwords. Fifty-one engineers,

      accountants and university students aged between 17 - 61 years participated in the

      study. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: mnemonic, self-selection

      and random. All passwords in the study had to meet the following

      criteria: they had to be unique, at least eight characters long with a mixture of

      letters and numbers, and not include complete words or personal identifiers,

      sequential or repetitive numbers, and the passwords could not be written down or

      recorded anywhere. The mnemonic group created passwords based on a variety of mnemonic processes, the self-selection group generated passwords that complied with the

      above criteria, and the random group were assigned random

      passwords generated by the experimenter. Password recall was tested online once

      a week for three weeks, and then the passwords were renewed, with participants

      staying within the same groups for the length of the study. The second password

      was tested weekly for three weeks, then the passwords were renewed for the third

      and final time and tested for a further three weeks. The expectation was that the

      use of mnemonics in password creation would improve accurate recall of

      passwords, more so than if the password was 'self-selected' or a random password

      was assigned. The results showed that participants in the mnemonic group were

      able to accurately recall all three passwords significantly more often than

      participants in the self-selection and random groups. Furthermore, passwords

      created by the mnemonic group were more secure than passwords created by the

      self-selection group, as their passwords generated had a greater number of

      characters in them, slightly larger alphabet size, and a higher degree of entropy.

      The results are discussed in terms of the practical relevance of the findings.
      Date
      2008
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Name
      Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc)
      Publisher
      The University of Waikato
      Rights
      All items in Research Commons are provided for private study and research purposes and are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
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      • Masters Degree Theses [2381]
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