Getting too old to remember passwords
LoopyByteloose
Posts: 12,537
The internet keeps demanding harder and harder passwords, and I keep forgetting more and more. The day will come when no one will hear from me
Comments
I see that I last visited Jan 1st, 1970 at 7:00 am. That was before I had my first Radio Shack color computer, maybe before I took Fortran with keypunch cards on an IBM360.
OBC
My favorite scheme is to use things that spell like they sound, and rotate through a few, depending on the level of security needed. Upside, is nice, long passwords are easy.
"code.it, download.it, two.rivers, to.be.a.kid.again", etc...
For a higher level, I keep the same idea, only insure that it's stuff that people won't type, and that they find difficult to remember. Memory requires an association to be made. The examples above are very easily remembered and typed.
If the password scheme requires numbers, just toss a zero in for the "o", three for E, etc...
"bringlesplats, dweeb.knob, fringl3.splick, grindlehob, bl33bus"
Adding the dot between obvious sounds, and the number letter substitution gets these through any scheme.
For very sensitive stuff, I generate something that types easy, and that is long, and I write the darn thing down and stuff it in with the other key info bits we all must maintain in "that file".
One service provider I had accepted "I do not have a password" as a password for use over the phone :-)
The truth is that I have a 3-tier system of passwords.
1. Must recall and must be secure (banking and so on)
2. Useful to recall (visit often)
3. Don't care about the security, just make it easy
It work on an age old priority about information.
A. Need to know
B. Nice to know
C. Garbage
Their requirements were that the new password require both upper and lower case letters, a number AND a non alphanumeric character.
It is frustrating to be locked out of a service that you are paying for until you create a new password when the old one was more than adequate.
I feel that I lose security when I have to write passwords down in order to remember them.
Rich H
There are ancient techniques for remembering things, used back in the days when people didn't even have paper to jot things down. Some people call it "mental theater". There's a book about the history of it called "The Art of Memory." I'm sure there are geriatric versions of the same book somewhere...I just can't remember where.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Memory-Frances-Yates/dp/0226950018
Pass.W0rd1
So far, variations on that one gets past the strength requirement. Doing something rule-based is generally easiest for those kinds of systems.
@Hippy: Nice! And I'm going to try that next chance I get.
John Abshier
Check out the 500 most common passwords. I have used many of these, just like everybody else, who struggles to just plug in the minimum.
http://realtimetricks.blogspot.com/2010/08/list-of-top-common-passwords-to-avoid.html
Re: Inconsistency. Yeah. The best defense on that is just to adopt and get proficient at a longer system that is a super-set of all the rules. I'm slowly headed that way as many of the resources I use are ramping it up year after year. So... 12 characters, puncuation, numbers, lower alpha, upper alpha. I'm reducing it down to quick 'n dirty keyboard patterns.
I second roboform. It's an excellent tool that I am considering adopting. Our ops manager uses it, and I've been impressed.
I have a 3 tier system and its used on how much the data is worth
EG here I use a Very simple one.. but the ones I use for lets say FCC or what not is MUCH more complicated ..
one of my old ones was from a movie ..
Peter KG6LSE
Yes!! We had this topic a while back on the old forum.
One way to explore this, and gain a new skill at the same time, quite literally becoming a little bit smarter, or more capable in a day, is to pick something that doesn't make any sense like:
glibbensplock
, that is difficult to associate, tell it to somebody, once, and then ask them to recall it a few hours later, or the next day. No writing it down, or archiving it in any way, save for simple memory recall from your first vocalization of it.
Unless they've done this game, it's very highly likely they won't be able to do so.
When they fail, do it again:
warblesplatkens
...and this time, have them associate the previous failure, the lesson: namely, that longer term, enduring memory requires one to make a hard link between that already remembered, and that to be remembered, with the item to be remembered.
(on the word above, some common associations may be: warble is a sound made by birds, splat is what happens when water falls, TK is a part of the name of a programming environment, Ken works for Parallax, and a platkin is kind of like a platen, only it's got TK in it, etc...)
The more solid and numerous the links are the better the overall capacity to remember generally is.
One particularly potent link methodology beyond simple associations, is to use a circular association where the rule to generate the nonsense word is made clear. Combine phonetically familiar syllables, to form familiar sounding garbage words, is the rule, and using that for passwords, as in the case here, reinforces that link, and back to the greater discussion at hand. My post does this, given the context of this thread, BTW.
That closes all the loops, with some of the associations being bi-directional.
Finally, when associations are made to enduring things, primary things, rules, basic elements of life, they are the most robust. Many things actually operate in similar ways, and where that can be seen, the associations are very strong, covering many areas of understanding.
An example of that is the problem of remembering passwords often involves the same skills needed to remember SPIN shortcut expression elements and operators.
Repeat the same exercise, no writing, etc... after having had this conversation, and...
Chances are, they will remember, and will use the whole meta-discussion as the link to build on, and that's the new skill! If it's used a few times, it solidifies. If it's used many times, it becomes habit, and the work is done, the person a bit better at this kind of thing for the longer term.
Awareness of how the mind appears to work in this way, is damn cool, and I wish more things worked this way, because it's generally not difficult.
The bizarre thing about this meta-discussion is those of you reading this post can improve your skill with just a few dry runs, playing the game with yourself, linking the things just as the other person would. It's a little less fun, and requires a bit more work solo, but it does, in fact, work. Better with another person though. The person to person interaction simply makes for better associations. We associate people, places, and things very well, in general, which is why that works the way it does.
Some co-workers and I went down this road a long while back, and ended up here after just a lark on memory in general. It all worked well for us, and so...
I've been sharing it off and on ever since, and introduce it in all of my adult learning classes. Those are your typical industry, "fire hose" type things, where a few days, or a week is spent ramping up on complex, usually higher end, software. I'm sure you've all been through those at some point. They are generally brutal, with so much compressed into so little time.
Anecdotally, (is that a word?) where I don't spend some time on memory at the beginning, with a few reminders and examples sprinkled throughout the class time, the student pools generally struggle more near the end, or have more follow on questions after class is over, and they are applying what was thrown at them.
I've received some very interesting comments and suggestions over the years too, as people toy with the idea, realize something intriguing to them, and share it back my way. (which I always encourage, just because it's nice to close the loop on that kind of thing)
This kind of thing is best done with a side discussion containing a lot of sample ways to associate things, and the idea that multi-sensory input helps in every way. Links can be made with sounds, patterns, numbers, notes, colors, time lines of events (particularly good for the industry type training, as the job expectations and work flow can be linked to the items needed very well), people, mnemonics, etc... The multi-sensory approach is read it, write it, express it, say it, do it, move to it, etc...
The product of that is kind of a memory tool box, where people can take those bits, apply them, finding ways and means that work for them. Enjoy!
I have also been forcing myself to not use the same user name and password for each site, I noticed a few weeks ago when I googled my email address's and user-names I used on other sites, that a few sites outside the US are publishing passwords with usernames, and one of mine were on it.
Since I am now using different usernames on each site I use, If my passwords show up again, I know exactly which site is to blame.
I generally make a choice about the site that requires a password. If I am not really interested in commiting to the site, I use a spare Hotmail address and often the same password is shared by theme.
If it is investment - 'moneyhoney'
If it is electronics -'zapzapzap'
And so on.
But the problem is that some sites I visit very often I never key in the password and the browser doesn't show it too me. So I begin to have trouble recalling. And then something like this Forum change over happens and I have to make an effort to log in where I didn't before.
I have a few important investment sites and a banking site, so I turned off the history in my browser and with that some of the retained passwords disappeared. So I am having to make a greater effort. But these are not wise to leave on a computer, even at home.
Oh, you may have been referring to earlier postings...:rolleyes: