menna mage 1
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geting knw wht is da password
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In computing, a
password is a
word or string of
characters that is entered, often along with a
user name, into a computer system to
log in or to gain access to some resource. Passwords are a common form of
authentication. Full security requires that the password be kept
secret from those not allowed access.
The use of passwords goes back to ancient times. Sentries guarding a location would challenge for a password or
watchword. They would only allow a person in if they knew the password. In modern times, passwords are used to
control access to protected computer
operating systems,
mobile phones,
cable TV decoders,
automated teller machines (ATMs), etc. A typical
computer user may require passwords for many purposes: logging in to computer accounts, retrieving
e-mail from servers, accessing programs, databases, networks, web sites, and even reading the morning newspaper online.
Despite the name, there is no need for passwords to be actual words; indeed passwords which are not actual words are harder to guess, a desirable property. Some passwords are formed from multiple words and are more accurately called a
passphrase. The term
passcode is sometimes used when the secret information is purely numeric, such as the
personal identification number (PIN) commonly used for ATM access. Passwords are generally short enough to be
memorized.