Modern life...resetting a password

[Captain Colonial]

"Sorry, your password has been in use for 30 days and has expired you must register a new one."

roses

"Sorry, too few characters."

pretty roses

"Sorry, you must use at least one numerical character."

1 pretty rose

"Sorry, you cannot use blank spaces."

1prettyrose

"Sorry, you must use at least 10 different characters."

1stupidprettyrose

"Sorry, you must use at least one upper case character."

1STUPIDprettyrose

"Sorry, you cannot use more than one upper case character consecutively."

1StupidPrettyRose

"Sorry, you must use no fewer than 20 total characters."

1StupidPrettyRoseShovedUpYourAssIfYouDon'tGiveMeAccessRightNow!

"Sorry, you cannot use punctuation."

1StupidPrettyRoseShovedUpYourAssIfYouDontGiveMeAccessRightNow

"Sorry, that password is already in use."

[pickmaster Andy Lowe]

LOL ;)

[WestyNottm]

I use a particular site regularly and every few months it demands I change my password. When I did the first change, it allowed me to use the original password with 'V2' (as in version 2) on the end.

 

I am now up to V18!

[OrmusKnight]

I use a particular site regularly and every few months it demands I change my password. When I did the first change, it allowed me to use the original password with 'V2' (as in version 2) on the end.

 

I am now up to V18!

 

That's the only way I can cope now, with the various password restrictions enforced everywhere; that and Month&year as the password.

 

biometrics the way forward, yes they still wouldn't be foolproof but better than the stupid password dance we have now. 

[stephenh]

The trouble is that if you have to keep changing your password, then you can't remember it off by heart, so you have to write it down. Then you end up with different passwords for different things, so you not only have to write them down, but you have to write down against each one what it is for.    

Rather defeats the point of passwords, doesn't it?

You really want one password which you can memorise, but which is not obvious to others, and be able to use it for all password requirements.

[Tim Ellershaw]

The trouble is that if you have to keep changing your password, then you can't remember it off by heart, so you have to write it down. Then you end up with different passwords for different things, so you not only have to write them down, but you have to write down against each one what it is for.    

Rather defeats the point of passwords, doesn't it?

You really want one password which you can memorise, but which is not obvious to others, and be able to use it for all password requirements.

 

That all depends on where you think the threat is ?

 

Having the same password on your online banking and, for example, on your car club forum is not a good idea. Hackers frequently attack the "soft targets" and get passwords they can match to the difficult targets.

Having difficult to guess and regularly changed passwords and writing them on a post it note next to your screen at home is only a problem if someone breaks into your house.

 

( OK, a bit of a poor example, but you see what I mean   )

[peterg]

I tend to use old car registrations (ie cars/bikes I used to own) give a nice mix of letters and numbers and easy to remember (for me anyway) PLUS you can use prompts to remind you of them rather than the actual passwords

 

e.g.  say you had owned a Ford Cortina that was MBN 123N and a Honda C90 that was LX02 771, the password could be LX02771mbn123n! and the prompt in your wallet/diary etc would be "HOndacortina!"

 

I have lots of these and all my reminder says is 'bikeBMW' and 'SkodaBmw!!' etc etc

[darve]

im on version 41 at work

[SootySport]

For web forums I use the same password throughout as they don't change, keeps things simple.

   For banks and other money type accounts I have a different more secure formula.

 For work,  passwords change every 90 days so another system employed there.

 

So basically I only have to remember 3 passwords for everything and no need to write anything down.

[corsechris]

I've been known to impose 'amusing' temporary passwords on folk with a propensity for forgetting them. supercalifragelisticexpialidocious being one, and imsorryicanttellyouyournewpassword being another. The latter one requires a certain mentality on the part of the victim for maximum amusement.

[dhutch]

[SootySport]

You been to GCHQ to learn that  ?

[dhutch]

http://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/Special:Random

[User0083]

At work we require three passwords.

1st

Secure password made up of 9 random letters, it requires renewal every 30 days and you get three different combinations to choose from and can not choose your own.

nyk fdp kik

tdr gty akz

ewt hyc njo

As an example. So you are required to select one. The amount of times I choose one, type it in, type it again to confirm and get a message letting my know that that two passwords I have typed are different!!!

2nd

7-11 characters, not allowed to use 10 though. Must contain:

1 lower case letter

1 upper case letter

1 number

1 symbol

Must not contain:

Sequence contained in military number (so a section of 25149019, for example 2514SjC!, first four, my initials then symbol)

Your name or any part of your name

Your date of birth

A password or part of a password previously used

Lasts 90 days before forced to change it

3rd

Must not contain words in the British language

Must not be either of the two above

Must not contain your name, number or date of birth

Must contain one number, one letter and must be 7 characters long.

Lasts 60 days before change is forced

This is outstanding military security!!! Pretty much every person has a post it on their PC with all the passwords on it!