Computer passwords

[alaskaguy]

Nearly everybody that logs onto a computer has to deal with passwords.

A street survey was conducted on computer passwords. It found that 21% of office workers were willing to share their passwords with a "good looking" female holding a clipboard. Women on the other hand were far more likely to give away their passwords in exchange for chocolate. More than half of the people surveyed said they used the same password for everything.

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[Flag Guy]

Thats a little sad.... I think the most I'd give to a "researcher" is that it's alpha-numeric and between a certain length... aka layout the requirements I was required to have for my password.

I have to say... the 9-16 alpha/numeric/upper/lower/symbol password I had to create today and change every 60 days will by far be the *****est password I've ever had

[Cydar]

Then I need to go buy some chocolates....

[Dave19642006]

Wow, I never thought that I could overuse Cyclone1997 to much for a password

[cmoneyr]

I use 12345 for everything, is that bad? It's also my luggage combo.

[aeroclone08]

i use password

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I work in the computer outsourcing field and have ID's on over 70 mainframes. It is a nightmare trying to keep those updated and in sync from month to month. Any situation that arises where I can set a permanent password, you bet I use the same one. I have enough to remember.

[dmclone]

You'd be surprised how much people will let you do if you just say "I'm in IT". I get on others PC all the time remotely to provide help and at that point they will let me do whatever I want. Sometimes I act like I'm going to do something bad , thinking that they are stop me, and they don't say a word.

[Aldude505]

Here's a tool I use...its called KeePass Password its free and it allows you to input your password once and then everything else logs on by itself...the program actually makes a password for each website that is ridiculously difficult but since you only need to remember one it works really well. It uses AES and Twofish encryption so I feel pretty safe about using it.

KeePass Password Safe

[sodakjoe]

I use 12345 for everything, is that bad? It's also my luggage combo.

It's a good thing you gave it to me, otherwise I'd need to give your daughter back...her old nose!



EDIT:

Awww...that would have been so much cooler with a picture.

[dmclone]

We just started putting some iris scan technology in a few of our server rooms. Beats having to put a password in all the time but I have a feeling it must be pretty $$$ because we're just using it on one server room.

[drlove]

I used to work for GE, and at one time, I had needs for about 10 different passwords. Then they figured out how to have a "single sign on" for everything, so you would only need one password.
I miss those days.

[Flag Guy]

I used to work for GE, and at one time, I had needs for about 10 different passwords. Then they figured out how to have a "single sign on" for everything, so you would only need one password.
I miss those days.

I now work for the government. Pretty sure I'm stuck with 10 different passwords and 20 different pin numbers, even though computer access is mostly controlled by an ID card and pin number...

To give you an idea of what that system is like, it takes a month to add me to that system before they can issue me this computer card... so in the mean time I just log in with a user name and password.

I've only been there 3 days and just got e-mail today, so I'm still working on accumulating those passwords but yeah... apperently there are so many that some people write them down in a book to keep track of them, or store pin numbers in their filing cabinet, which defeats the purpose of having those numbers or passwords in the first place (if someone really wanted to get into the system, they just have to look around a little)

You'd think that'd be motivation to simplify it but... you know whatever.

[Phaedrus]

I now work for the government. Pretty sure I'm stuck with 10 different passwords and 20 different pin numbers, even though computer access is mostly controlled by an ID card and pin number...

To give you an idea of what that system is like, it takes a month to add me to that system before they can issue me this computer card... so in the mean time I just log in with a user name and password.

I've only been there 3 days and just got e-mail today, so I'm still working on accumulating those passwords but yeah... apperently there are so many that some people write them down in a book to keep track of them, or store pin numbers in their filing cabinet, which defeats the purpose of having those numbers or passwords in the first place (if someone really wanted to get into the system, they just have to look around a little)

You'd think that'd be motivation to simplify it but... you know whatever.

I'm working on a paper with our IT guy right now on how increasing computer security through the use of complex passwords, and multiple sign ons actually DECREASES computer security.

IT professional need to develop a creed/code much like lawyers and doctors adhere to. Multiple passwords, some 15 characters long with 4 special characters and at least 2 numbers, with no repetitive, sequential or partial words is the standard here, and I have 6 different passwords, because none of the combos are standard, but they are all non-negotiable.

[ISUCyclones]

As a former gov employee that had a clearance I know the pain, seems like the addition of the ID (smart card) changes nothing, just an additional pain in the arse. I'm working for a manufacturing company know that patents stuff, hence the every 60 day password change, I'm pretty sure that is standard. Hopefully they can come up with something better as the more I do it the less I understand the incentive.