When did computer passwords become a thing?

People have been racking their brains for good codes for longer than you might think

illustration of a sequence of asterisks against a purple background. a human hand is placing an additional asterisk after a sequence of four already there
The creation of the first password is 'shrouded in the mists of history'
(Image credit: Boris Zhitkov / Getty Images)

Modern password management has become so complicated that there are entire apps like Bitwarden and Dashlane to help people use them. For those old enough to remember the early Internet era, however, even the ubiquitous login screen on your own computer would have seemed bizarre, let alone the reality of remembering dozens of different login configurations for everything from your work email to your retirement accounts.

Origins of computer passwords

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.