Military strength passwords aren't good enough?

I have about 8 passwords that show a clear evolutionary lineage, because every time I create an account somewhere there's a new requirement.

First it had to be longer, then it had to have an uppercase character, then a number, then longer again, then a "special" character. Now I just signed up for an FNB account and they had all of the above... PLUS you can't have any repeat character sequences. I don't feel any more secure. I'm just more likely to write these things down, and/or get locked out of my own accounts. You can't force me not to be stupid.

Then you get sites that require you change passwords every few months or logins. How is that supposed to increase security? If anything it does the opposite. FNB stores your last five passwords to make sure you don't reuse them -- this makes me worry about the security of their own records.

The other thing that blows my mind are these "security questions": more like security holes. I just give nonsense answers.
 
I wonder how many people now use the password "correct horse battery staple" after that most recent XKCD :D
 
Complex Passwords are easy to create and easy to remember....

First Make a Sentence that has to do with every day stuff...

eg. Janine (my Wife of 15 years) loves making pizzas from scratch on Friday Evenings around 5.

Then convert the sentence into first letters and capitalise the important words....

J(MW015y)lmPfsoFE(a5)

If the password field allows it... you can make it even more complex then by inserting non text characters and spaces.
 
Just randomise it with a simple program. It's not difficult to remember ten different keys when you use them daily.

I'm with the others though. I /HATE/ being forced to change my password every month or having to have different types of symbols in them. Give me a ****ing break, my passwords are solid as is without your ridiculous requirements.

It's only a matter of time when PCs will have to come standard with fingerprint recognition technology, it's the natural progression. Still surprised ATMs, CCs and like are not like that already.
 
The other thing is that every one of your online accounts can be reset by anybody with access to your email. Except maybe for your internet banking. Hopefully.

Sometimes the attacker won't even need to reset the password because it was sent to you clear-text when you signed up (and these might help him guess any passwords he can't reset.)

Bring on the OpenID. I am always logged into Gmail. Let me be logged into everything else at the same time.
 
Tomtomtom said:
The other thing is that every one of your online accounts can be reset by anybody with access to your email. Except maybe for your internet banking. Hopefully.

Sometimes the attacker won't even need to reset the password because it was sent to you clear-text when you signed up (and these might help him guess any passwords he can't reset.)

Bring on the OpenID. I am always logged into Gmail. Let me be logged into everything else at the same time.
Click to expand...

I recently enabled Google's 2-step verification for this reason. It works reasonably well, and I now know for sure my email (and all my other passwords) are safe.
 
WRONG

Garyvdh said:
Complex Passwords are easy to create and easy to remember....

First Make a Sentence that has to do with every day stuff...

eg. Janine (my Wife of 15 years) loves making pizzas from scratch on Friday Evenings around 5.

Then convert the sentence into first letters and capitalise the important words....

J(MW015y)lmPfsoFE(a5)

If the password field allows it... you can make it even more complex then by inserting non text characters and spaces.
Click to expand...

The funny thing is,
"J(MW015y)lmPfsoFE(a5)"
Is less secure AND harder to remember than
"Janine loves making pizzas from scratch"
 
Garyvdh said:
Complex Passwords are easy to create and easy to remember....

First Make a Sentence that has to do with every day stuff...

eg. Janine (my Wife of 15 years) loves making pizzas from scratch on Friday Evenings around 5.

Then convert the sentence into first letters and capitalise the important words....

J(MW015y)lmPfsoFE(a5)

If the password field allows it... you can make it even more complex then by inserting non text characters and spaces.
Click to expand...

Any password suggestions for single guys who live on takeaways?
 
"Julius Malema is a clueless ass" would defenintely not be a good password - way too easy to guess. :D
 
Garson007 said:
Just randomise it with a simple program. It's not difficult to remember ten different keys when you use them daily.

I'm with the others though. I /HATE/ being forced to change my password every month or having to have different types of symbols in them. Give me a ****ing break, my passwords are solid as is without your ridiculous requirements.

It's only a matter of time when PCs will have to come standard with fingerprint recognition technology, it's the natural progression. Still surprised ATMs, CCs and like are not like that already.
Click to expand...

Are u kidding.
I like my fingers attached to my hand. Not on a criminals keychain
 
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