14 DAY TRIAL // These days, you can still find a security expert or two that will say that it’s OK to write down your passwords on paper if you’re afraid you’ll forget them. However, they will also tell you that you must never leave that piece of paper in plain sight.
An incident that occurred at the Tokyo International Airport in Japan one day before the visit of US President Barack Obama demonstrates just how dangerous it is to misplace a piece of paper containing passwords.
According to The Japan Times, an employee of Skymark Airlines lost a piece of paper containing airport security pass codes. The note was found half hour later, but airport officials decided to change all security codes as a precaution.
It’s uncertain what could have been accessed with the codes, but airport representatives decided that the information could lead to a security breach.
Japanese authorities have put a lot of effort into making sure that the US president’s visit goes without incidents. Security cameras have been installed, security checkpoints have been set up and around 16,000 officers have been deployed throughout Tokyo.
As far as the Haneda Airport is concerned, at the beginning of April, the Tokyo police announced the launch of a counterterrorism unit that would deal with hijackings and other incidents.