Password Choices

[Andy Holyer]

In article <4387 at ptsfa.PacBell.COM> jmc at ptsfa.PacBell.COM (Jerry Carlin) writes:
| Somewhere I remember hearing or reading that someone did a study
| about typical (bad) password choices and/or what consituted good
| password choices. Can anyone give me references? Thanks in advance.

The Trick I learned was:

a) Pick a common word

b) Append 2 or 3 random letters or (better) numbers to it.

Thus something like "letter4z" or "waterqx4" - the logic is that
snoopers will get the first few letters, but the random ones are then
almost impossible to get (If you're quick with them). Here in Blighty,
I find car registration numbers are good; for two reasons. One, you
always know your reg. no. (the first thing the police do over here if
the stop you is face you away from the car and ask for the reg. no -
easy way to spot if you've stolen it), and two, the structure is
almost exactly the above ( For those of you who don't know, British
car no's are of the pattern:
"{letter}{letter}{letter}{number}[number]{letter}"
or (for the last few years):
"{letter}{number}[number]{letter}{letter}{letter}"
... There is a quite good logic behind this - ask a brit if you're
interested, but that's another story. I don't suppose that would work
so well with all those customised amercian plates...


-----

	&ndy Holyer		(and at uk.ac.essex.eurotra)

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"I'm sorry it wasn't a Unicorn. It would have been nice to have
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