Password Security

When it comes to security we all know that we should never leave the house key under the door mat (or flower pot!) because it's very poor security and obviously the first place most people will look when they're trying to gain access yet when it comes to interent security we tend to opt for exactly that....little or no security and the blatantly obvious!

User names and passwords are the electronic 'keys' to your life on the internet and should be treated as such, with the same amount of care and consideration going into their selection, storage and who you share them with. Of course having a secure passwords (as secure as you can get) is the first step to making it harder for people to gain unauthorised access, especially under a brute force crack, so here are a few simple guidelines to follow.


As secure as it gets...
Most people know by now not to use birthdays, either their own or their children's etc but not so obvious is that you also shouldn't use any information that can easily be obtained (phone directory, electoral role etc) or anything that can be identified as being 'typical' ie address, phone number, middle/family/pet name, drivers licence, car registration, IRD/IRS/social security numbers or of any of the aforementioned in reverse .... especially not your user name! 

A password needs to be at least 6-8 characters long, containing 1 or 2 numbers and it should be a nonsense word that is easy to remember. Now I know nonsense words appear impossible to remember but there is a trick to their construction, which makes them almost foolproof when it comes to recollection. Lets take lopt2asp for this example. lopt2asp covers all the do's and is void of all the don'ts so it's perfect ....and to help me remember it it's part a quote that I like....Lots Of People Talk To Animals Said Pooh. Do you see how it's been done? I've taken the first letter from each word in the quote, changed one of the words into a number (to became 2) and turned it into a nonsense word. It's a pretty neat trick and you can use it with just about anything you like....poetry, quotes, song lyrics, phrase etc the options are endless, choosing a password has never been easier or as much fun :-) If you want to take it a step further throw in some upper case letters so the end result is LopT2asP 

Storeage...
Quite simply put....DON'T! Easier said than done I know but if you don't store your bank pin numbers next to your creditcards/bankcards why would you store your passwords on your computer or scribbled on that scrap of paper under your keyboard or stuck to your screen???? In saying that most of us do to some degree but I'd strongly recommend you not store passwords on your computer for any accounts that will do serious damage your privacy (ie online banking) or ego (accounts you use to for 'personal' contacts/information) so here's a couple of suggestions if you find it's essentail to store you passwords within easy reach.
1. Don't let Windows store your passwords for you...get yourself a secure password manager
2. Turn off the auto complete feature!
In Internet Explorer go to Tools> Internet Options> Content tab, under personal information is Autocomplete, click on it, uncheck User Names & Passwords then hit clear passwords.
3. If you need to write it down don't put it on or near your computer, throw them in your diary/address book and don't write down the url of the site concerned

Summary...
Don't share your password
Don't write it down
Don't make it obvious (remember the doormat!)
Don't make it easy to guess (remember LopT2asP!)
Don't let windows store your passwords for you
Don't forget to change your password often (at the very least every 6months!)

A couple of other points to remember....do keep your browser and anti-virus software up-to-date....this isn't hard to do so try not to put it off. IE has an Windows Update feature (Control Menu/Tools) which cuts out all the hassle and will highlight critical updates so schedule it on your calendar for the 1st of the month and while your out and about pop along and check for new virus updates. Another point worthy of noting is that whenever you log into a site with your username and password always remember to log out. Don't just move onto another site or close your browser window...logging out is essential, especially if your using web based email. Lastly, for added security I believe serious consideration should be given to installing a personal firewall...highly recommended is [ZoneAlarm] (which is free for personal use)... as this will act as a gatekeeper, guarding and protecting your privacy,  personal details and even suspicious email attachments! Nothing is fool proof but a firewall is as close as it gets when it comes to offering protection and warning you about attempts to gain unauthorised access to your computer.....you'll be very surprised at who (and how many)are watching you on your travels!

In your quest for security and privacy let common sense prevail at all times...remember your account is only as secure as your password.

{no-combomax}