[ale] passwords

[Geoffrey Myers]

Drifter wrote:
> the recent chatter about network security has, mostly, skirted around 
> the password problem. Too many web sites that need strong security 
> restrict passwords by length, or character set, or both. So also do many 
> corporate web sites. Software exists that can generate random 
> alphanumeric passwords, but they routinely suffer the same fault: being 
> difficult to remember, users end up with notes taped to monitors, 
> voiding the security.

Absolutely concur!  I get so frustrated with so many banks and credit 
card companies that restrict character sets or lengths.  I've seen both. 
  AT&T, for example, restricts certain special characters.  I always 
like to mix in some special characters and numerics with my alpha 
characters.

I belong to one credit union that restricts the length of your password 
to 8 characters.  Grrrrr

> 
> For the past decade or so I have been recommending that computer users 
> pick out several favorite poems/songs and use them to generate passwords.
> 
> For example, fans of mathematics might reach for Lewis Carroll:
> 
> The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things,
> 
> which would generate the short password <tthctwsttomt>, which munged 
> just a little bit becomes <TthctW5ttomT>.

My approach is similar.  I tell folks to use a sentence that they can 
remember, whether it's a quote or just something that means something to 
them.  For example, I've used in the past (obviously no longer, or I 
wouldn't post here):

I am an avid backpacker and I love trekking the Appalachian Trail!

IaaabaIlttAP!

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
the pretense of taking care of them."
- Thomas Jefferson