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Password Hell


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Following on from my previous post about quantities of data - something that seems to go hand in hand with all this 'stuff' is that of keeping track of passwords. I seem to have loads of the feckers.

My work background comes from secure sites (Banking, MoD etc.) so I'm used to random passwords with upper/lower case & characters. I.e. no 'simple' words. It's a difficult habit to get out of.

A lot of my friends try and use the same password over everything - that's just scarey :eek:

An Apple environment tends to make things simpler for the user as you have the KeyChain thing so you can bang your passwords into that. Of course you then have to ensure that that database is very secure.....

Just out of curioustiy, I just tried one of my admin logins to a Bank I used to work for some 6 years ago. Guess what - straight in and I can see everything. Before you start going on about computer missuse etc. I'm still on good terms with the IT director so I've let him know.

Makes me wonder how many other security holes there are out there?

In my time in the City I've predominently worked for resellers which means that I've been through a lot of Banks & Insurance companies - I wonder how many of those I would still be able to log on to?

How do you guys manage all your passwords :confused: Seperate to the key chain I also have a Wallet application that I try and maintain a database of my username & passwords in - it's pretty helpful.

One of the worse things I do with client connectivity is get home and throw my RSA or SafeWord tokens in a drawer..... and then 2 months later have to login and can't remember which feckin one to use for what client :rolleyes:

Here's a thing - I've been registered with TSN* since, what, 2001 I think? How many of you have changed your passwords on TSN since you first registered?

Bring on biometric integration and single-sign on :D

*And it's predecessor.

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I remember them all (and they aren't easy), but my generation I think is getting used to it, haven't a clue what most of the major cities in the world are though :rolleyes: I guess what you remember / learn is changing. Not saying that's good or bad or right or wrong, just an observation.

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I work in IT, and I know MANY of our users use the same password for many things. Use the same PIN for many things too.

That is just scarey.

Also the amount of bods we look after use the names of their children/wife/pets for a password is unbeliveable!

Me? Different word, different PIN for each MAJOR application/finacnial card that has monetary value. And they are nothing 'obvious' about me neither. ie, no kids/wife/car/streets etc etc.

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I used to be pretty bad - having the same PIN for all the cards in my wallet is not a smart idea so I changed that, but only a few months ago!

Passwords are all different - upper case, lower case, symbols and numbers. My biggest problem was recently when, on a monday morning, I temporarily forgot my PGP passcode thus rendering a vast chunk of my files useless!

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I'd never recommend EVER using any kind of utility which "manages" your passwords.

for pc, internet banking, apple keychain or anything.

any application can be hacked and misused so never keep things in one place. ever!!

changing pins of cards regularly is essential i think as it pisses me off when people think its acceptible to watch you enter it. wtf. a signature was more secure!!

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You could try the solution adopted by one office that I visited. A file sitting on the server, in the public area accessible by user:Guest, called "passwords.doc". :cool:

No, it wasn't encrypted. :rolleyes:

I discovered it when they asked me for my password so that they could add it to the file. Everyone went very quiet when I asked them what the point was in having a password, if they were then going to let anyone who wanted see it. :ffs:

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I've just from an Open Bloomberg account to Bloomberg Anywhere - so I've now got a nice funky new keyboard that uses fingerprint recognition before it lets me complete my login to Bbg.

Also go a little Bbg credit card thing so I can log on at any pc - again, it has fingerprint recognition and then you have to hold the biometric part up against the flashing part of the screen and it generates a unique code that you have to enter in order to complete your logon.

All in all, it pretty neat.

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Chav - I generally agree with you +++ My keychain stuff is 'transposed' in that it never holds proper numbers/pins or passwords. It's transposed in such a manner though that I know how to read them.

Mac,

Go check out 1Password for iPhone and OS X - might be just what you're looking for, and IIRC, written by some of your countrymen. :)

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Interesting to see this article so soon after you started this thread :secret:

BBC NEWS | Technology | Boost for easier web login plans

I have a few passwords. All of them are random and I use each one depending on how secure I need it to be, GOD, secret, sex, love, password (in that order :grin:) oh and the most secure password ever has to be Koenigsegg!!

Bring on Biometrics +++, although retina scanners look scary in films :eek: and I don't want to give blood samples a la Gattaca :nono:

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