Fernando Corbató didn’t intend to unleash havoc when he helped create the first computer password at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the early 1960s.
“It’s become kind of a nightmare,” says the 87-year-old retired researcher. “I don’t think anybody can possibly remember all the passwords.”
Passwords are a bane to computer and smartphone users and a security threat to companies. On Wednesday, eBay Inc. EBAY -0.73% urged its 145 million users to change their passwords because of a data breach. But if the past is a guide, few people will heed the warning.