An article that I just read about LinkedIn passwords being stolen prompted this article.
Today with all of the various on-line tools and platforms I am sure that you have at least a dozen if not more username and passwords. Trying to make them simple so that you can remember them can be a job all unto itself. In the past you have probably been advised to not write them down anywhere. Between the sheer volume of the number of different
English: A plastic card with one-time passwords used for on-line banking. Passwords (originally hidden) that are already used were revealed by scratching. Scanned, 600 dpi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
usernames and passwords required in these technologically advanced times, you can’t do anything but write something down somewhere.
I read once, that you should even share your passwords with your spouse, so how do you handle the need for remembering but simplifying your usernames and passwords?
There are all sorts of tips and tricks to help you with your passwords. This article shares 10 tips that include having 8-14 characters that combine upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols; not using the same password for all of your platforms; and using an on-line service that can store your passwords for you. Now that last tip scares me because that system could be hacked and then ALL of your passwords are out there.
Here are my simple suggestions:
- Have a completely different password for your banking and most secure websites. Most of those sites have redundant security features in place to help you anyway.
- Create a password that can be adapted depending upon the use – Upper Case, lower case, numbers and symbols i.e. I am creating a password for Facebook – I would capitalize the first two letters to represent the platform – FB, then I pick a word that can be adapted to use with a symbol – skate could become $k@te and then add a number (but not the year you were born) 64 (maybe the model year of your first car) so my password would be FB$k@te64. That could then be changed for each platform – TW$k@te64, LI$k@te64 or more simply TWskate64 or LIskate64.
- Passwords that change monthly can be modified by changing the month and year for example – your password would be the appropriate number of characters required by the system with Upper, Lower, symbol and then 612 for June 2012.
Just my suggestions. Take what you like and leave the rest.
