The article discusses the problems with the current design of macOS dialogs for password entry, highlighting how easily they might be forged. By drawing on a myth told by Ovid, the author parallels the challenge of proving authenticity in both the ancient story and modern cybersecurity. It suggests that biometrics, like Touch ID, provide a more secure and convenient alternative to traditional password dialogs, analogous to a more foolproof method of proving identity, thus avoiding the tragic fate of Semele.
Main Points
Dialog Authenticity and Mythological Parallel
Issues with current password request dialogs in macOS and parallels to ancient myths
Improvements and Biometrics
Possible improvements and biometric authentication as a more secure alternative
Ancient Narrative and Modern Security
Ovid’s account serves as a narrative framework to explore modern security concerns
Insights
Comparative Analysis of Dialog Authenticity and Ancient Myths
The current macOS dialogs requesting password entry and the myth recounted by Ovid about Jupiter and Semele illustrate a parallel in proving authenticity. For macOS, this includes the challenge of making genuine requests hard to fake, similarly to how Semele demanded proof of Jupiter’s divinity. The inability of current dialogs in macOS to convincingly assert genuineness reflects the risk, much like Semele’s tragic fate. Moreover, macOS’s later reliance on biometric authentication as a more secure and irrefutable form of identity verification mirrors a solution beyond the rudimentary forms of proving identity, akin to the myth’s thematic exploration of truth and proof.
Links
Images
URL
https://eclecticlight.co/2024/03/14/ovids-myths-of-macos-password-entry-dialogs-and-the-death-of-semele/