Answer by keshlam for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Analogy: As a locksmith, I may (with the customers' permission) keep records of what I've done for them, including the details of their keys. But that puts me at risk of having my own shop broken into...
View ArticleAnswer by Kaz for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why passwords...
For hashing functions, no ready analogy finds itself in the sphere of football or automobiles. The best we can do is to spill the actual facts.Dear Boss,In a perfect world, users would be security...
View ArticleAnswer by otus for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Analogy time:Storing plaintext passwords is like leaving your house unlocked.Encrypting the password database is like storing the key under the doormat.Hashing passwords is like using a 3-digit number...
View ArticleAnswer by paj28 for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
The technical importance of hashing is vastly overstated.The practical reason you need to hash is because everyone else does it; it is considered "best practice". If you have a breach, it is much...
View ArticleAnswer by Briguy37 for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Let's say your database with passwords is leaked or stolen: If passwords are in plain-text, all your password are belong to us.If passwords are hashed, all passwords are still in a shared bank-vault...
View ArticleAnswer by The Spooniest for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Explain it in terms of lines of defense.Obviously, you're going to be doing everything you can to make sure that your code is secure. But the fact is, your server will not only run code that you wrote,...
View ArticleAnswer by supercat for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
The most fundamental answer, which I haven't seen anyone state directly yet, is that the actions of anyone who would be in a position to discover a password cannot be reliably distinguished from the...
View ArticleAnswer by aaaaaaaaaaaa for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
This thread is a bit short on analogies, so here goes:An unhashed password is like a transparent lock, anyone who gets a proper look at it can design the matching key.
View ArticleAnswer by gnasher729 for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
What to tell the boss: "Here's the problem. I'm an experienced software developer and I'm telling you that storing unencrypted password is risky on a level of absolute inexcusable stupidity. Even...
View ArticleAnswer by Malcolm for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Imagine you're Scrooge McDuck. You've been keeping your piles of money in one giant vault for a while now, but there's a problem with that: if a thief ever gains access to the vault, all your money...
View ArticleAnswer by Ken Clubb for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Explain that passwords get stolen all the time, and when it happens the companies are REALLY embarrassed and open to lawsuits if the passwords are in clear text.Explain that hashing is really easy to...
View ArticleAnswer by Tim S. for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
Imagine you're the bouncer at a club. To know whether to let people in, you have a codebook of people's names/aliases (some people prefer to be discreet, and are only known by an alias) and their own...
View ArticleAnswer by brokethebuildagain for What is a good analogy to explain to a...
Using analogies can be powerful, but in this case, I think it would be much easier to just explain in simple language what is going on. Something like this should be effective, but probably should...
View ArticleAnswer by tylerl for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
The Short AnswerThe short answer is: "So you don't get hit with a $5 million class-action lawsuit." That should be reason enough for most CEOs. Hashing passwords is a lot cheaper.But more importantly:...
View ArticleAnswer by Dennis Jaheruddin for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman...
All explanations so far are a bit long, here is a short one:Some people who can't remember their bank pin, keep a note in their wallet.If a thief or aquaintence would get to look inside the wallet...
View ArticleAnswer by GdD for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why passwords...
I like analogy as a way to explain technology, however in this case it's probably not workable as the analogy would be too complex. Most managers are more motivated to avoid personal risk to their...
View ArticleAnswer by Aki for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why passwords...
How to explain.Humans are humans, it doesn't matter how modernized they are; there passwords will be something like Birth date or Name of the Girlfriend/Boyfriend/Pet animals etc etc.So, it is a threat...
View ArticleAnswer by Nzall for What is a good analogy to explain to a layman why...
To start off, I'll provide one to start with:Imagine you manage a bank. You don't want to allow your customers direct access to the money. So you have a teller who has just a computer and a small...
View ArticleWhat is a good analogy to explain to a layman why passwords should be hashed?
Note: This is not an actual situation I'm currently in.Assume your boss is one of those old-fashioned computer-illiterate managers and wants to store the passwords in plaintext to simplify development....
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