Usability expert criticises password masking

25th June 2009

The practice of masking passwords as users type them into websites damages online usability, it has been claimed.

According to web design expert Jakob Nielsen, using asterisks or bullet points instead of the real text that users enter when typing out passwords does little to boost security, as passers-by could still see what the password is by looking at the user's keystrokes.

The consultant claims that making it difficult for web users to see what they are typing increases the likelihood of mistakes and typos and could lead to users giving up and going to another website, meaning that the website in question loses business.

However, Mr Nielsen concedes: "Users are sometimes truly at risk of having bystanders spy on their passwords, such as when they're using an internet cafe.

"It's therefore worth offering them a checkbox to have their passwords masked."

Meanwhile, Graham Charlton of Econsultancy has disputed Mr Nielsen's argument, stating that users who mistype a password are likely to keep trying until they succeed and that inserting a checkbox for password masking into web pages will only serve to increase clutter.

 

Category: Bespoke Web Design

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