Password madness

[dipmicro]

We all have accounts all over. Every website we have account with wants us to have a unique password. The IT department at the place I worked before wants employees to change password every 2 months, cannot repeat last 24 password and have crazy rules about what can and cannot be in password (at least one digit, at least one symbol, at least one lowercase, at least one uppercase, at least 8 characters). This is totally counterproductive as people are very likely to put the password of the month down or use a simple scheme, like 1+Q+SHIFT-2+SHIFT-W+3+E+SHIFT4+SHIFT-R first month, then moving onto the next on the keyboard next month. Security is in the tubes.

An unnamed online financial institution does not allow me access to the account and when I log in, they want me to change my password because of the security advisory. However, their very T&C state very clearly that user is solely responsible for the security of their account. This is a paid service. Do they have any right to block access to the account because they "feel" the password should be changed?

Maybe next time they decide that for security purposes I'd have to send them naked picture of my wife. Or how about making customers to make 20 push-ups before taking money out of ATM, that would be healthy ...

Little off topic, I am glad eBay does not have stupid policies like that yet.

[westernstargifts]

Passwords drive me nuts too. I have to write them down or I would not remember all of them.

One account that I have requires you to use a variety of figures too similar to what you describe above. They also cannot spell a word. At least it is only changed every 6 months and I only alter it slightly. (Still have to write it down...lol).

Another thing just occurred to me. What is going to happen when all of us baby boomers reach senior status and start developing dementia? These companies will need full time staff to deal with the flood of requests they get to send out forgotten passwords!!

[dipmicro]

start developing dementia?

Until then someone will do a social study and figure out that security using anforcing super-secure paswords actually went to the tubes and we will see bunch of layofs in "IT security" area.

Or another scenario is that another way to identify a person will emerge: fingerprint, eye-scan, chip built in the skin, face recognition, breath analyzer, touch-free DNA analyser, etc. etc.

[bring*on*the*glitz]

I use a program called RoboForm to maintain all my passwords. Its shown on the toolbar and will display the site that I have previously used a password, therefore I'm not having to recollect them. I feel safe using it because the information is stored on my own computer and I can view / edit the details as required. Firefox, if you use it, also has an addon to accept its use...


just an idea to help out.... 🙂
Janice