Did you ever see the TV game show called, Password? I know, the Finish Line Blog has been as much about television series as it’s been about technology lately! Not to date myself too much, but I used to come home from kindergarten, have a grilled cheese sandwich, and watch the 80s’s version of Password called Super Password. If you had a more exciting childhood than me and you haven’t seen it, there would be two teams competing with two players per team. One player on each team was a celebrity and the other a contestant. One would give a one word clue, and the other would have to guess the password. Before they started, the announcer would whisper the password to the viewers as in, “The password is…” while flashing the password on the screen for those of us at home. You can imagine the hilarity that would ensue. The point of all this is that the show went to great lengths to avoid giving out a password. You should do the same thing with your own personal passwords!
Anything worth protecting is worthy of a password. From your phone to your computer, and in your earliest days, to prevent someone unauthorized from entering a secret club you’d formed! Why then are people so lackadaisical when it comes to passwords? Why do people write their passwords down and put them on a sticky note next to their monitor? Why do they use their first name as a password? Why is there no password at all to prevent anyone off the street from gaining access to their computer? Why? Why? Why?
Let’s start from the beginning. “Do I need a password when I log on to my computer?” Yes! In the year 2015, our entire lives are on the computer. All kinds of personal documents, financial websites with saved passwords, e-mails that shouldn’t be shared, our social media accounts, etc., are there for the taking. There’s no telling how much damage a criminal could do both personally and professionally by simply gaining access to our computer. By the way, this goes for home as well as work. Consider also adding another level of security by forcing the computer back to the log on screen after the screen saver ends. To do this, right-click on an open area of the desktop. Click “Personalize” then “Screen Saver”. Check the box that reads “On resume, display log on screen”.
Now that we’ve established that everything should have a password, let’s move on to password strength. Create a password that is at least eight characters. Notice I said characters and not letters or numbers. A strong password should include combinations of capital and lower case letters, numbers, and also symbols. Try to avoid using the same password twice at the same time (various websites for example). Never include your name as part of your password, and steer clear of using well-known information, as in your spouse’s name, pet’s name, birthday, phone number, favorite sports team, etc. “Password” itself is not an acceptable password. Don’t laugh, I’ve seen it!
As we keep repeating, computer security is all about common sense. Take a look at your own situation. Do you have your password written down at your desk? All it takes is a second for someone to see that password and give it a try in any number of places. Have you given other people your log on password? Maybe it’s time for a new one. Are your personal passwords too easy to guess based on the information you’ve put forth on the Internet? If you’re honest with yourself, it’s easy to see the changes that might need to be made. Always think of the worst case scenario and adjust accordingly. It’s a whole lot easier to prevent something now than correct it later. Remember, The Password Is…Security!