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computer science

KYPS

KYPS is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand KYPS rather than just read about it. In short: KYPS (Keep Your Password Secret) is a free web-based service that enables users to log into websites, which usually require a username/password combination, using one-time passwords. The main difference between KYPS and similar password management technologies is that the password is never disclosed to the local computer.

KYPS — main illustration
KYPS — illustration

Key takeaways

  • KYPS belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect KYPS to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of KYPS from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

KYPS (Keep Your Password Secret) is a free web-based service that enables users to log into websites, which usually require a username/password combination, using one-time passwords. The main difference between KYPS and similar password management technologies is that the password is never disclosed to the local computer. This makes KYPS effective against password theft by spyware or keyloggers, particularly when using public computers such as in an Internet cafe. More details about the internal workings of KYPS were published at the CSIE 2009 conference. KYPS is also featured on Makeuseof, and heise.de Some of the internal workings of its predecessor, an open-source project called "Impostor", were published at the peer-reviewed GLOBECOM conference in 2004.

See also List of password managers

References

External links Entering Passwords on a Spyware Infected Machine Using a Shared-Secret Proxy (KLASSP).

Illustrations

KYPS: A sketch of the KYPS login method. The user's password is not disclosed to the computer he uses. It is, however, disclosed to the KYPS server. The system therefore requires that the user trusts the provider of the service
A sketch of the KYPS login method. The user's password is not disclosed to the computer he uses. It is, however, disclosed to the KYPS server. The system therefore requires that the user trusts the provider of the service

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with KYPS

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what KYPS claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to KYPS before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about KYPS ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of KYPS

In research
KYPS appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses KYPS in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
KYPS is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer security software stubs, Internet security, Password managers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for KYPS outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study KYPS in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what KYPS means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain KYPS out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is KYPS in simple terms?

KYPS (Keep Your Password Secret) is a free web-based service that enables users to log into websites, which usually require a username/password combination, using one-time passwords. The main difference between KYPS and similar password management technologies is that the password is never disclose…

Why does KYPS matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study KYPS?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on KYPS.

Tags

  • Computer security software stubs
  • Internet security
  • Password managers

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