Network Security

White House head of cybersecurity suggests selfies as password alternative

President Obama's head of cybersecurity prefers to “kill” passwords as a security method and opt for alternative methods.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Center for National Policy and The Christian Science Monitor, Michael Daniel, the White House cyberseucrity coordinator, discussed his concerns on what he deems is a “terrible” security mechanism.

“Frankly, I would love to kill the password dead as the primary security method, because it's terrible,” he said.

Daniel suggested replacing passwords with alternative methods such as biometrics – like fingerprint scanners – or even “selfies” so that those images can be scanned by devices that could grant access to the correct one.

He also discussed emerging threats and challenges related to the Internet of Things, how technology should adapt to human behavior, and how organizations should improve on their use of encryption.

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