How the First Computer Password Was Invented at MIT

In this episode of Tech History with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the origin of the computer password—a security concept we use daily but rarely question. The story begins at MIT in the early 1960s, where the Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) allowed multiple users to share a single mainframe. To protect individual files, researcher Fernando Corbató introduced a simple login command with a secret 'password.' The first password was a four-character string stored in plaintext. Corbató later regretted not anticipating the security arms race that followed, from the Morris worm to modern credential stuffing. We trace how that MIT innovation became both a cornerstone and a vulnerability of digital life, and what it means for the future of authentication. #FernandoCorbató #MIT #ComputerPassword #CTSS #Cybersecurity #DigitalPrivacy #TechHistory #PasswordSecurity #Login #Mainframe #Authentication #TechOrigin #HistoryOfComputing #SiliconValley #Technology #CyberThreats #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo