Which Password Did I Use?
Don’t Forget to Remember
More about eMail from BIG Mike McDaniel
If you spend any time at all on the Internet, you know there are thousands
of websites that want you to "log in" and create a username
and password so you can see what’s behind the homepage. Many of
these sites have noting to do with money or personal banking information.
The log in helps
them create a mailing list for marketing. There are other sites where
credit card and personal information is requested.
Choosing a username and password can be very simple for those sites
that pose no threat to your financial well-being (i.e. sites that do
not ask for credit card or bank info). Use the same username and password.
There is no reason to cook up James Bond passwords for a site anyone
can "log" onto. Here's a simple idea: for a username, use
the part of your eMail address in front of the @ sign. My eMail address
is Mike@BigIdeasGroup.com so my username for non-threatening sites is
Mike.
Select a password and use it all the time. I have a friend who uses
"Password" as his password. A simple, easy to remember, repetitive,
Ho-Hum username and password approach is ONLY for the run of the mill,
everyday Internet sites.
When you go to a Ho-Hum site it will be very easy to remember your
username and password. Before entering your Ho-Hum combination, ask
yourself "what if someone cracked into this site with my password?"
If the answer does not change your life, be Ho-Hum. A "Secure"
site is a different
matter.
In selecting a secure password, many people choose something that will
be easy for to remember, birthday, dog's name, telephone number even
credit card pin numbers. These passwords may be easy to remember and
also the first line of attack for a dedicated hacker.
Collecting personal information about you is an easy trick and converting
that information into sample passwords is the first thing that someone
trying to break into your account will try. Password-guessing scripts
and programs are easily available online and most will be able to provide
access to your account if you are using a common word or pharse as your
password.
Use a combination of letters, numbers, upper and lower case and possibly
even characters if you want to really be secure. Obviously the longer
your password is, the more difficult it will be for someone to crack.
Once you decide on your password, keep a separate list of all the sites
where you enter that information. A list of sites, NOT a written record
of your secure password. That word should be in your head and only in
your head. Never write it anywhere. Period. Save your list on a floppy
disk (not your hard drive) and label it something other than what it
really is, but something that will trigger your memory. If someone is
shuffling through your computer disks and finds one marked "Passwords"
you are sunk. If, instead, it says "Weight Loss Articles",
who cares? Get the idea? Keep the WORD in your head, keep the LIST on
a floppy, called something else.
Calling it "Bankruptcy Articles" would help you to remember
what could happen if a dedicated hacker could crack one or more of your
accounts on the list. Caution, calling it just "Bankruptcy"
might trigger a curious investigation. Find a hapless name that will
trigger your memory as to what is really on the disk.
The floppy disk and secure list are to be your secret. No need to explain
it to anyone. Just
remember to add to it each time you enter your "secure" password
on the Internet.
Once you have a list of where to go, you can visit those sites on a
quarterly basis and CHANGE your secure username and password. Frequent
changes are a great defense. Security experts suggest you change your
password quarterly. Leave the Ho-Hum sites alone, no threat there, only
change your secure sites. But, remember how to remember your new password.
An easy way to develop a secure password is to use an algorithm with
a familiar word or phrase. Then all you do is remember that word and
the algorithm and you're that much more secure.
For example, You could choose "Password" as your familiar
word and use the algorithm of "upper left key". That is, when
you spell out "Password" on your keyboard, rather than keying
in "Password", you key the character that is to the upper
left of the letter in your familiar code word. Thus "Password",
which is very easy to remember, becomes "0qww294e", which
is a random type password and not easy to remember and is far more secure
than the common word "Password".
One suggestion is to use the same password, but put the number of the
quarter in which it is valid in that position of the word. To illustrate
we will use the password "Password" with an uppercase P. Whatever
word or combination of letters you pick can use this system. "Password"
used in first quarter would be "1Password", in second quarter
(April May and June) it would be "P2assword". Using this method
the 4th quarter would be
"Pas4sword". If you decided to always make the letter after
the quarter number UPPER case, 4th quarter would look like "Pas4Sword".
By remembering your secure word and the method you use to change it,
you will always be able to remember your secure username and password.
Remember: always determine if the site is Ho-Hum or if it needs your
secret agent coding
device. Make all secure passwords at least seven characters long and
use a mix of letters, numbers and upper and lower case.
Never, Never, Never
Never give your "secure" password to anyone. Never give your
"Ho-Hum" password to anyone, either. Never explain to anyone
how you develop or remember your password
Passwords are for your protection, but you can’t take them for
granted. Develop an easy to remember system and change your word often.
For another article from BIG Mike, check out "I'm A Second Story
Man" which asks the question, can you say who you are and what
you do in two sentences or less?
Send blank eMail to SecondStory@BigIdeasGroup.com
