On the occasion of World Password Day, Willing offers a look back at the evolution of authentication—from the 1960s to the present day.
A journey that says a lot about our relationship with security, and the challenges that still lie ahead.
The evolution of the password: a constantly renewed challenge
1960–1980: When systems were open —and so was access
Originally, computing was an area of trust. In universities and laboratories, systems were shared, sometimes without passwords or using generic identifiers.
The priority? Easy access. Not yet security.
But very quickly the limits became apparent: no control over access, no way to manage authorizations or traceability. Abuses multiplied.
This situation marked the introduction of the first personal authentication mechanisms. The username/password pair made its debut.
1980–2000: The democratisation of passwords
Information technology becomes more and more industrialised. Businesses and public authorities equipped themselves with connected systems. Users created their own passwords—often short, obvious… and not very secure.
Risks escalated: shared passwords, predictable choices, dictionary attacks.
With no formal rules, security relied on users’ goodwill—and memory.
The first complexity policies appeared, laying the foundations for essential digital security practices.
2000s: Complexity — taken too far
Longer, more complex passwords, changed more often. The prevailing view of the 2000s: strengthen passwords to counter increasingly sophisticated threats.
The result? Strict rules, but not always productive:
- Easy-to-guess variations of a previous and leaked password
- Frequent forgetting and highly visible post-its
- “False security”: compliant but ineffective passwords
At the same time, cybercriminals are adapting as quickly as the rules are changing.
A clear realisation emerged: complexity alone is no longer enough.
2010s: The rise of multi-factor authentication
Phishing became endemic. Massive leaks of identifiers become commonplace. Remote work weakened security perimeters.
Organisations are reacting: multi-factor authentication (MFA) became mainstream.
Authentication no longer relied solely on what we know, but also on what we have (token, smartphone) or what we are (biometrics).
The password is becoming just another building block, but it is no longer the single key to access.
Since 2020: Towards an era without passwords?
Security should no longer be a barrier to users. The limitations of passwords are clear. New alternatives are emerging: biometrics, passkeys, cryptographic authentication, physical keys.
These new methods hold great promises:
- Fewer human errors
- Less dependence on memory
- Better resistance to automated attacks
But challenges remain:
- What happens if a device is compromised?
- Can a fingerprint be revoked?
- The ecosystem is still in transition— but it is making rapid progress.
What about tomorrow? Invisible authentication
Tomorrow, authentication might no longer be a conscious act.
Practices are shifting towards integrated, seamless, and adaptive security:
- Behavioural signatures
- Keystroke dynamics
- Decentralised identity
- Real-time contextual analysis
Several key trends are emerging:
- Native security integration into the infrastructure (hardware, cloud)
- Seamless experience for humans, rigorous control for systems
- Conditional access and granular controls based on depending on use.
Lessons learned: authentication is no longer just about passwords
This retrospective makes it clear: passwords no longer stand alone.
They are now part of a complete security ecosystem, combining MFA, biometrics, encryption keys, tokens and contextual access controls.
The challenge is no longer just to secure a single-entry point—but to orchestrate a fluid, reliable authentication system that is adapted to different uses.
This evolution is accompanied by a strategic refocusing on business logic. This shift is driven by two major breakthroughs:
- The widespread adoption of MFA, drastically reducing identity-based attacks (by up to 99.2% according to Microsoft)
- The simplification of deployment thanks to standards (SAML, OAuth), making solutions faster to implement, more user-friendly and more interoperable.
As a result, Organizations can now ask the right questions, at the right level:
- When should re-authentication be enforced?
- What are the conditional rules for different access contexts?
- How can we balance usability and security—with no compromise?
Finally, complexity is now shifting to another front: machine authentication.
With the rise of APIs, microservices, AI agents and cloud architectures, non-human identities are exploding.
Between 2021 and 2024, their average number doubled—and 83% of organizations experienced at least one breakdown due to poor machine identity management.
Against this backdrop, structuring a machine identity strategy is becoming essential for securing exchanges, controlling technical debt and supporting changes to the information system.
Password, authentication… and beyond
This retrospective invites us to look further ahead.
Perhaps May 6 should no longer be just World Password Day, but World Authentication Day—with a capital A.
An authentication that encompassing:
- Passwords and their alternatives
- Business logic and usage contexts
- Users… and machines
At Willing, authentication is central to transformation
Willing Technologies supports organizations in their technological transformation, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and identity and access management (IAM).
Our expertise covers:
- IAM project management (MFA deployment, solution migration)
- Studies and frameworks (maturity audit, identity strategy, architecture)
- Training and change management
- Integration of business logic into IAM environments
- Awareness-raising actions on authentication security
Better authentication also means better management, stronger protection, and better collaboration.
Do you need support with your IAM projects?
Our teams are here to help.