PROVIDING HINTS WHILE ENTERING PROTECTED INFORMATION

One or more hints can be presented during the entry of protected information. Traditionally, for security reasons, the protected information is displayed as ambiguous characters, hindering the ability to determine if there was an error inputting the information. A hash can be calculated from some or all of the protected information already input, and the resulting hash value can be used to select a hint. The hints can be selected from a relatively small number of easily distinguishable hints, including visual, auditory and sensory hints, or any combination thereof. The hints are not a globally unique identifier of the protected information and can, instead, be used to detect a deviation from the correct entry of the protected information.