Data Privacy Day PASSWORDS

[Sparkey]

January 28th, 2011 Guest Blogger: Marc Groman, Chief Privacy Officer, Federal Trade Commission writes:

from source --> hyperlink = http: //www .ncpw.gov/2011/01/data-privacy-day/?lang=en (Remove Spaces)

... changing randomized passwords in a standard way for each account. For example, if your bank account password is sBjp4hd%,
your library account password could be sLjp4hd%.

The second letter of each password would relate to the specific account. This is easier to remember than completely unique passwords for each account (which I agree would be more secure),

Resisting the temptation/urge to try to crack the password of the Chief Privacy Officer of the Federal Trade Commission and adopting a password scheme like he describes to help guard your identity seems like a good idea to me.

I just saw his blog and thought I'd pass the tip along to my friends here at Christian Forums.

~Sparrow

 

[Mike]

I don't want to derail your thread with the first response, but it is beyond frustrating to have so many passwords for this and that. I think I have about 25 of them I use on line, and some so seldom, I'm always having to hit the "forgot password" button if I'm not completely locked out after 3 tries.

And then there are the log-in ID's that have different criteria, so I have to use different ID's. :bigfrown

 

[Sparkey]

Mike, your comment is spot on and in no way "derails" the thread.

For instance, if my random 8 character password included 1 capital letter as well as numbers and letters it could be

fC5mpd!3

I can remember the 'mpd' middle part easy enough.
then the random character to start it out would be "f"
C would be my Christian Forum Net designation and the bang character (!) called exclaimation point BANG followed by a 3 completes the scheme.

Sounds more complicated than it is. Every couple weeks my passwords change. My Bank account becomes fB5mpd!3
My library account is (you guessed it): fL5mpd!3

After typing the new password (and storing it in a secured location) the rest is easy. I've heard of password management utilities for this type of thing, but I ahhhh.... well, I don't trust them. Call me paranoid, right?

Your point about remembering account names is a common frustration too, I'll admit. But since the account names are not as sensitive as the passwords my solution would be to just store them anywhere (seperate from the computer hard drive). I use my palm pilot (which is also secured by a password) to list my accounts. My son is the executor of my estate so he has a key to my fireproof safe and I keep my palm pilot password in there. Am I crazy to do this much work? Not at all, it's not that much work, just a new habit is all. About the crazy part, well I am named after a bird, right?

My suggestions (as I type them out) seem like they are more trouble than they are worth but really? It doesn't take that much effort, well I don't think so anyway. I can change all my passwords in less time than it took me to write this reply (amost -sometimes things happen beyond my control but you get what I mean).


~Sparrow