Comments on: The Airing of Grievances: Computers & Technology

By: The View From North Central Idaho - Maybe he needs a cigarette

The View From North Central Idaho - Maybe he needs a cigarette — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:58:28 +0000

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By: M. Neal

M. Neal — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:43:42 +0000

As a current software developer, keep in mind it is not necessarily the software companies or IT that require these “complex” passwords or to change your password. Many times it is the “security consultants” telling business this is what they need to be secure. If the business doesn’t comply, the security consultants will give them a red mark on their security audit.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:19:00 +0000

As a former network security guy, about the password thing: Yes, it’s fascist. It does serves a few purposes though:

(1) If you use the same username/password for all accounts, all I need to do to access any of them is to find out one of them. Not so good.

(2) Why a password with a minimum number of chars and assorted numbers interspersed? Because it is *TRIVIAL* to run a dictionary attack against words that most people pick. If you use a word that is in a dictionary, I’ll figure it out. FAST. I’ll just run your username against a list of prehashed dictionary words. Bingo! I’m in. That trick in many decades old.

Ya, it sucks to have to pick a bunch of passwords that are relatively hard to crack. But it sucks more for me to hack your SayUncle password and then empty your bank account.

By: mike hollihan

mike hollihan — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:58:26 +0000

I have a cheap wire notebook (about 2 x 3) filled with useranmes and passwords. It sits right next to my home computer. Very high tech.

By: Standard Mischief

Standard Mischief — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:11:43 +0000

Get a PDA with a good, high security scrambled password program. Keep your strong password in there. Carry the PDA everywhere, even to your brother’s wedding, it’s a necessary tool now just like that penknife or multi-tool.

Regularly change that one good grandmaster password that secures all the others. Write that password down a thousand times so you will remember it and then burn that paper. Keep a spare PDA handy and a backed up copy of that encrypted file just in case you lose your PDA consider printing all those passwords out and storing them someplace really safe as plaintext, like a safety deposit box.

Security is never easy.

By: trainer

trainer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:48:17 +0000

I’m with ya on the password thingie. I have at this moment 8 pieces of paper pasted to my desk (at home) with passwords for utility and card companies. That doesn’t include passwords for my OS and blogging software or PIN codes. I hate the one that requires numbers to be not at the end or beginning. It’s a real PITA. I try to use variations on a theme…CRS and all the drug use in the 60s has taken it’s toll.

By: SayUncle

SayUncle — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:36:49 +0000

Wow. Good deal. Thanks Jay.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:20:43 +0000

It would be NICE if I COULD use the same password a lot, but sites try to make it difficult: One site I deal with wants at least 8 letters AND a number that cannot be FIRST or LAST. I told them to expect lots of phone calls, as I will NEVER remember that.

There is an anecdote about a company IT guy who tried something like that to improve security. Some time after, he noticed that most employees had their new passwords on post-it notes stuck to their monitors.

If you have to buy a MicroSD card, this is the best deal I have seen:

Kingston 1GB microSD Secure Digital Card $14.95 after rebate & Google Checkout