Assam police's creative warning: 'Don't let your OTP become a K3G moment'

Assam Police took to the microblogging site 'X' on August 20 to impart a valuable lesson in online security with a touch of Bollywood humor. Referring to the iconic scene from the movie "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" (K3G), the police department highlighted the importance of safeguarding One Time Passwords (OTPs) and keeping them out of the wrong hands.

In a tweet, Assam Police shared a video featuring Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan from the movie, playfully cautioning against sharing OTPs with unauthorized individuals. The police urged netizens to quickly delete their OTPs after use, reiterating that these passwords are designed for single-use security.

An OTP is a dynamically generated numeric or alphanumeric string that serves as a temporary authentication code for a single transaction or login session. This method is considered more secure than traditional static passwords, which can be vulnerable to hacking or reused across multiple accounts.

While OTPs bolster security, they are susceptible to being intercepted by cybercriminals if shared without caution. The police's analogy to the K3G scene aims to capture attention and emphasize the importance of not compromising online security.

Incorporating OTPs into the login process adds an extra layer of protection, either as a standalone authentication method or in conjunction with traditional passwords. The dynamic nature of OTPs, changing with each use, ensures that even if intercepted, they are of no use to malicious actors.

Various methods exist for generating OTPs, including security tokens, mobile apps, and more. Security tokens, such as hardware devices or software applications, generate unique codes at regular intervals for authentication purposes.