Is this the last hurrah for online freedom?

Given the relentless and increasing barrage of cyberattacks, it might seem odd to call this a golden age for Internet freedom. Yet cybersecurity professionals say the simple user name and password process will soon seem a quaint relic of an easier, simpler time. What they don't agree on is what comes next.

The coders and security whizzes descending on San Francisco (CA) for the annual RSA computer security conference are likely to run in a few camps: those who think biometrics hold the answers. Others are looking at smart data -- say, detecting weird behavior that suggests identity theft. But at some point something's got to give. It could be the network will do the heavy lifting. Or, individuals may start using protections like two-factor or biometrics. But those might have to be the default setting in a new device. "Counting on users to do the right thing never works," said Anup Ghosh, CEO of Invincea. Credit.com's Levin doesn't see a Disney fairy tale based on technology that will somehow save us from ourselves. The public is going to have to jump through some big hoops. "There is no silver bullet," he said.