to passWord or not to passWord?

[Andromeda43]

I've had to hack so many PC's because the PW got hosed or the operator forgot it.....
What a total pain in the arse!

I don't need one and won't ever have one. I'd rather use a Key-Lock to protect my PC if I needed that kind of protection.

Parents, Don't let your kids password lock their user accounts. YOU need to keep total control over that computer and everything it does and everywhere it goes (on the Internet).

Nuff said.

Happy New Year, y'all.
Andromeda43

[Jeremy]

Just use one. Type it in 5 times and you've got it mastered. Don't use a word. Use a combination of letters and numbers. Does XP support symbols in passwords? I know how to get unbreakable passwords. Check [url="https://www.grc.com/passwords"]this[/url] out. I have one of the letters-numbers-symbols 63-character written down in my notepad. It took me 2 minutes to write it, lol. It'll be my master password for when I use Hamachi in conjunction with my future network.

[wolf7448]

[quote name='Jeremy' post='441173' date='Dec 28 2005, 11:23 PM']Just use one. Type it in 5 times and you've got it mastered. Don't use a word. Use a combination of letters and numbers. Does XP support symbols in passwords? I know how to get unbreakable passwords. Check [url="https://www.grc.com/passwords"]this[/url] out. I have one of the letters-numbers-symbols 63-character written down in my notepad. It took me 2 minutes to write it, lol. It'll be my master password for when I use Hamachi in conjunction with my future network.[/quote]

i believe the experts say if you repete something [b]10[/b] times it kind of locks it into your long term memmory (food for thought is all )

[Lazy8]

@Jeremy

Windows supports special characters (I forget which ones) for user accounts.

I make use of them for my accounts--separate password for BIOS, user, email, security settings for programs. Everything gets its own password, and the wetware stores the only record.

[Johnno]

Using a password is a habbit.

[alsiladka]

* Me thinks locking my house would be safer when i leave than leaving it unlocked

[Idontwantspam]

Passwords all the way! :thumbup

Most people I know who have had anything to do with me and my computer use say I'm security-paranoid. Group policies all over, password restrictions, forcing them to press Ctrl+Alt+Del to log on, forcing a password-protected screensaver, making people change their passwords periodically, ranting at people who write down their passwords, then forcing them to change them immediately, etc. etc. Passwords are good things to have. I make everyone else have them. Trying to make a short password, non-complex password, or otherwise not good password sends the computer into panic, displaying a No Way dialog, try again! Passwords passwords passwords passwords passwords passwords. Heck, even my TI-84+ calculator has a password on it. Oh, and did I mention I like passwords?

Edited April 2, 2007 by Idontwantspam

[j7n]

The only password I have is BIOS password. I've setup it for the only reason so that the computer wouldn't boot to Windows automatically, and I could turn it off calmly or enter BIOS setup.

My personal FTP server has a password, so that I'm the only one on the Internet who can use it. No one is allowed to touch my computer physically without my permission.

[blackmodder]

I don't need a pass .And that who try to get into my machine they will find "nothing" .What to steal from me, screensaver's or music

I don't keep important files for a long time in my harddisk

[Jeremy]

I think everyone knows by now the advantage of using a good password and the reasons for people not using a password, whether they know to or if they feel that their systems don't contain information valuable to those who would go out of their way to steal it.

[CelticWhisper]

All of my systems are passworded in some capacity.

My test system is currently running Sabayon, which won't install until you create a root password and a default user with a password. True of most distros these days.

My notebook runs XP Pro (soon to be Kubuntu) and has a password set; I do not run as Admin by default and also lock the system whenever I'm away, even if there's nobody else around.

The only system I'm bad about locking/restricting is my G5 which I normally leave logged in. I really should get better about using FUS to go back to the login screen when I step away, but I'm the only really Mac-savvy person in my house and I have the added benefit of having a trackball, rather than a standard mouse, on that system so there's a bit of a confusion factor acting as an extra deterrent. My brother wouldn't be deterred by it, but then he has his own account on my G5 anyway and knows how to login to it. Plus, I know I have nothing to worry about from him-he's a good kid. The ones I would worry about are the same ones who would seriously be confused and put off by something so simple as a trackball.

I'm studying information security in college right now and have learned, among other things, that in addition to cryptographic security, account lockout policy, and other technical solutions, security is a matter of trust. Whom do you trust, to what extent, and under what circumstances in what situations? Without trust there can be no security. 'Tis the reason for my trust of my brother with my (very expensive!) G5 video box, and the basis for my policy on my laptop: It more commonly finds itself in potentially hostile situations than my (50-pound and oh-so-slightly-less-mobile) G5, such as public libraries, schools, friends' houses, etc.

Honestly, though, with as easy as password-protection is these days, nobody should be without one. It's just plain ol' good practice and can really save your butt from time to time.

[Idontwantspam]

Everyone where I spend my weekdays (as in "work") writes their passwords down on post-its then stick them on their monitors. The never lock the computers, either. It is somewhat interesting to go in there when they're gone and leave it open and to send an email to themselves saying "Hi! My name is %person%. I write down my password, leave my workstation unlocked and do other unsafe things like that!" They sometimes do something about it, sometimes not. People just don't get it sometimes... oh well. I've started an education campaign to inform people about computer safety. I steal their password sticky notes and throw them away, replacing it with one that says "don't write down your passwords. Now look on the back of this to get your password, then go change it. I mean it. I will be back." And also leaving little sheets about how you should lock your computer on their keyboards if they leave. Gets the point across to some of them. Hah.