PASSWORDS MAY SOON BE HISTORY.

This article presents alternatives to computer passwords. The most widely used security devices today are tokens, like the RSA SecurID from Security Dynamics. The SecurID is a card or a key fob that displays a six-digit number that changes every 30 seconds. The hottest idea in the Security field is biometrics, the use of some physical characteristic that uniquely identifies the user. The most widely used systems use a small pad that reads user's fingerprint and lets him in only if it matches the record on file. Others use a small camera to scan the iris of user's eye for the same sort of pattern checking.