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Writing Your Life History In Passwords
from the security-is-for-wimps dept
While I'm sure this article will make security-minded folks cringe, here's the story of a woman who, when forced every three months to change her password at work, picks a word that relates to whatever she's focused on in life at that moment. She then writes the password down on a piece of paper - that includes all of her past passwords for many years - and scans that piece of paper into her computer. While the security of this method is quite weak, she says the unintended consequence is that she now has a snapshot of what was going on in her life at three month intervals for many, many years. Of course, there are probably better ways to keep a journal of your life than by hiding it in your password.
Reader Comments
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Story of my life...
Wow, in looking back I see that my life has been quite fascinating.
Here's the excerpt of my last few passwords:
Secret030
Secret029
Secret028
Secret027
Secret026
Pretty fascinating, huh? It's OK to be jealous...
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Re: Story of my life...
Better not let your wife see this.
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Re: Story of my life...
Here's the excerpt of my last few passwords:
Secret030
Secret029
Secret028
Secret027
Secret026
Wow, I use the same passwords, but only for non-important stuff like Online Banking, Online Stock Transactions, and Commercial websites which use the password to protect my credit card information.
For everything else, I use my ultra-top-secret password: 1-2-3-4-5.
"Damn, that is the same combination I use on my luggage." -- President Skroob (Mel Brooks), _Spaceballs_.
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You know...
If she'd just waited till AFTER she changed her password to write it down, it wouldn't be a security risk.
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Re: You know...
Other than they're dictionary words, and someone who found the list would figure that out, and that they also tend to have a narrow focus.
Oh well, someday she'll learn, and hard, or she won't and it won't matter. At least she isn't a doctor or an insurance adjuster, or somebody who we trust with really sensitive information.
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