Secure+passwords

Passwords, passwords! Gimme a break! How many of you use the same password for everything because I'll bet many of you have a master list of passwords taped to your laptop. Uh-huh. I'd like to share with you some reasons for doing things differently when it comes to passwords and some alternatives to your tried and true "system" of password management.

Let's start off with the purpose of passwords. Passwords are meant to be unique "keys" that only you know so as to keep prying eyes from viewing your stuff. When you make passwords easy to guess, you make it easier for hackers and busy-bodies to steal your stuff. Using passwords that have something to do with your personal life such as
 * your place of business
 * a birthdate
 * part of a social security number or phone number
 * part of your name or a family member's name

makes it easy for thieves to break in and access your information. Passwords that feature common words are also simple for hackers to crack. Hackers employ computers that rapidly go through dictionaries of possible words until they gain access to your files.

Although no one can guarantee an "un-crackable" password, consider strengthening your password using the following tips:
 * use at least 8 characters, more if it's allowed
 * use a combination of numbers, symbols, and upper-case and lower-case letters
 * use a suggestion of a phrase

Let's take a look at that last suggestion. Using a suggestion of a phrase is a nice mnemonic for recalling a password without having to remember the password exactly. Let's say you pick the phrase " **h **ey **d **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">iddle **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%;">d **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;">iddle **t** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">he <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 180%;"> **c** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">at **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%;">a **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">nd **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%;">t **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">he **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 160%;">f **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">iddle". You wouldn't use that as your password, but you could use the first letter of each of the words to come up with a password of **hddtcatf**. All you have to do is remember the phrase, which is easy. You could strengthen the password by adding upper- and lower-case, letters and symbols. It's up to you.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Another suggestion is to leave your password on the keyboard, but not in the form of a yellow self-adhesive note. Pick two keys at the bottom of the keyboard, say "m: and "z". Start with "m" and type one key up on a diagonal until you reach the top of the keyboard then hit the caps lock and start typing on a diagonal with "Z". You may wind up with a password such as mko0ZAQ1. It wouldn't hurt to toss in a symbol or two.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">How often should you change you passwords? More often than you probably do now. Where I used to work, employees got reminders to change passwords every 30 days.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">Here's another option: Let someone, or rather something, else keep track of your passwords. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">LastPass & SplashID--FREE password managers. They synchronizes your passwords to any device you use regularly. At last a sensible solution to the problem of yellow self-adhesive notes posted all over your keyboard! Then again, what happens if/when LastPass' or SplashID's servers are hacked into. Something to make you go hmmm.