[Reader-list] Passwords

[Bijoyini]

In addition to just a word, some applications now have
the ability to accept passPHRASES (as opposed to
passWORDS). So you can type in a whole sentence
instead of just a word. It is harder to hack if you
think of all the permutions involved in hacking a
sentence instead of a word. Moreover, a password is
chose from a the set of symbols that include
alphabets, numbers and some special characters. This
set of symbols is small. A passphrase is selected from
the natural language dictionary that typically
comprises of 10 000 words to 500 000 words (for a
range of users). This set is larger than the set of
alphabets.

Some claim that it is also easier to remember "I l0ve
m0vies, f00tball, f00twear and gr00ve" (letter O
replaced by number zero) than "rt34fd0".


> -- Base the password on mnemonics or acronyms, not
> words or names. 
> Use your favourite song titles, movies, football
> teams as starters. 
> It's got to be something that you know a lot about,
> but not something 
> that other people can find out about you--such as
> your birthday, your 
> place of birth, or your kids' names. The first
> letters of the movie 
> The Year of Living Dangerously, for example, could
> be used in 
> conjunction with its two main stars, Mel Gibson and
> Sigourney Weaver, 
> to read "tyoldmgsw."
> 
> -- That's just the start. Now you have something you
> can remember, 
> but it's still just basic letters. You need to turn
> some of them into 
> numbers, punctuation symbols and capitals. Try
> turning the o into a 
> similar-looking zero, the l into a one and the s
> into a five. That 
> would give you "ty01dmg5w" which is a lot better,
> and still easy to 
> remember, since the numbers are similar to the
> letters they've 
> replaced.
> 
> -- This, sadly, is still not good enough. The people
> who write 
> hacking programs are on to this kind of trick, so
> your password is 
> still vulnerable. It needs an extra trick or two.
> Try capitalizing 
> the family-name letters, alter the 0 to
> similar-looking bracket marks 
> (), and move the numeric characters one key to the
> left on your 
> keyboard.
> 
> If your passwords are as good as that, then you
> should be safe. But 
> there's still a weakness, and it's still human.
> Never give your 
> passwords to anyone, don't reuse them for different
> accounts, and 
> change them every few months. Store them on your
> personal digital 
> assistant if you like, but remember that, even if
> it's in a 
> well-encrypted file, all your valuable info is just
> one password away 
> from being accessed by someone. If they steal your
> device, chances 
> are they're eager enough to try to crack the
> password protecting all 
> your passwords. Passwords are better kept in your
> head, triggered by 
> things you'll never forget.
> 
> Now, if you'll excuse me, since I've told you my
> password I've got to 
> go make up a new one.
> 
> Write to me at jeremy.wagstaff at feer.com
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