In today's digital landscape, the escalating frequency of data breaches and incidents of identity
theft pose significant challenges to cybersecurity. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in
security systems, often targeting passwords as the primary entry point. Once obtained, these
passwords grant access to sensitive information, enabling cybercriminals to execute a variety
of malicious activities, including disinformation campaigns, fraudulent transactions, and
unauthorized surveillance.
To combat these threats, recommendations stress the importance of creating strong, complex
passwords comprising a mix of symbols, alphanumeric characters, and varying cases.
Strengthening password security is essential in safeguarding digital assets and mitigating the
risks associated with data breaches and identity theft. As such, 10-character passwords to be
constructed containing letters and/or numbers (case-sensitive: upper case and lower case are
treated differently).
Determine the number of permutations under the following restrictions:
(a) All characters must be in lower case.
(4 marks)
(b) Upper case letters and digits must alternate and be distinct.
(6 marks)
(c) All characters must be lower case, distinct and in alphabetical order.
(4 marks)
(d) The password can only contain, upper case F and K.
(3 marks)
(e) At least one uppercase letter and one numerical digit, with no repeating characters
allowed.