It would not make sense to assume that something dependent on the password can be a successor to the password. What we advocate as the breakthrough is to make use of our episodic/autobiographic image memory that is said to be the least vulnerable to the cognitive phenomenon called “interference of memory” which limits the numbers of character-based passwords we can firmly remember to five or so.

1. Need of identity assurance outlives that of cyber security.
Assuming that we got perfect defenses against any possible cyber threats, we would still need the reliable
identity assurance over many generations or centuries to come so long as mankind have to live in the
real/cyber-fused society as the individuals with human rights.
Identity assurance, which had been achieved by face-to-face verification, seals and hand-written signatures for
millennia, can no longer be achieved without the likes of passwords = what you know/remember and nobody
else know/remember. We have so far relied upon character-based passwords but it is obvious that we cannot
keep relying on them for long. The number of accounts that require password protection is far above what we
can manage by remembrance.
Passwords should not be killed dead because a password-free life would only bring a night mare - a safe sleep
would be lost in the environment where your identity can be established when you are unconscious.
Biometric solutions require a fallback password in case of false rejection. Two/multi-factor schemes use a
password as one of the factors. ID federations like SSO services and password managers require a password
named master-password. It would not make sense to assume that something dependent on the password can
be a successor to the password.
Dead end? No! We should not forget that the password can be expanded to include the objects other than
characters. Computers are fast enough, bandwidths broad enough and memory devices cheap enough for it.
What we advocate as the breakthrough is to make use of our episodic/autobiographic image memory that is
said to be the least vulnerable to the cognitive phenomenon called “interference of memory” which limits the
numbers of character-based passwords we can firmly remember to five or so.
Incidentally I have heard that frequently watching images reminiscent of pleasant episodic/autobiographic
memories might also be helpful for preventing dementia and deterring its progress. I would appreciate your
input if you know something about this topic.
7th October, 2015
Hitoshi Kokumai