New Password Protection System: Phoney

Threats to our computer security come from everywhere. The breach of over 500 million Yahoo accounts is just one of many instances where a corporate entity is hacked by an outside force. For example, Sony’s PlayStation network was breached in 2011, and its film studio was hacked in 2014. Network engineers are constantly developing new ways to protect personal information. One solution is a password protection system called Phoney.

How Does the New Password Protection System Works?

The Phoney system was created by a team of engineers at the Sun College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China. It encrypts password hashes and honeywords. The password hashes and honeywords are a way to mask the password if it is stolen by a hacker.

While password hashes and honeywords are necessary forms of security for passwords, hackers have still found a way to get through them. Phoney’s password protection system adds an extra layer of security to thwart thieves from accessing personal information. If the system detects an intrusion, it will immediately block and lock down the affected account.

According to the team at Sun College, “Phoney is helpful to existing password authentication systems and easy to deploy. It requires no modifications to the client, and just changes how the password is stored on the server, which is invisible to the client.”

The team notes that this is not a perfect solution. Hackers are vigilant and may find a way to hack the system. However, it is a much need step in the right direction. According to a survey by Duke University, more than 80 percent of U.S. companies reported being hacked in 2015. Hopefully, this makes password protection more secure.

We value our personal information and privacy. However, we willingly give them to multiple retailers, websites, and other outlets. We trust them to keep our information safe and protected. If these outlets can develop and implement new security methods, such as phoney, into their online systems, then the public’s personal data is better protected.