Variable-strength security based on time and/or number of partial password unlocks

An authentication scheme for unlocking a computing system may require a shortened password in some cases. For example, the computing system may be configured to determine a time that a user has been locked out of a computing device and to determine which of a plurality of time spans that the time falls within. The computing system may also prompt the user for a required password including a full password or a subset of the full password depending on the determined time span. The computing system may be further configured to display a visual indicator corresponding to the determined time span or a required password length on a visual display. A length of the required password for login may be progressively longer for each of the plurality of time spans as a time period that a respective time span covers increases.