Ken's Corner
Let Me In: Why Strong Passwords Matter More Than Ever
Does it begin with a “1” or a “2?” Did I capitalize any letters? Have I used this anywhere else? Which special character did I use? What do you mean, too weak?
Passwords. The bane of a computer user’s life, but a totally necessary one these days. Many of the websites you use every day require one, and some require much more than that, with two-factor authorization and more. However much they vex you, using them keeps your information secret and allows you to safeguard your money from people who want it for themselves.
Alan Turing is considered the father of computers, having designed the first one in 1936. The origin of the computer password is a bit more recent; it started with Fernando Corbato, a computer science teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1960. Corbato built a system that allowed multiple users. He introduced passwords as a way for each user to access the system but not anyone else’s files.
The biggest complaint I hear from people is trying to come up with a memorable password, which is admittedly difficult, especially since current estimates indicate the average American, between computers, cable channels, phones, and multiple other sources, deals with 250 passwords. Because we use so many, we will often fall into bad habits in making them, and those habits can cost you.
Some statistics for you: things you SHOULD NOT do:
60% of Americans reuse passwords.
13% use the same password for everything. 10% have used that password since they were teens.
59% use personal names or birthdates in their passwords.
34% use slight variations of the password, adding numbers and/or letters to make it “new.”
Thinking about just using “123456” as your password? Don’t; it’s the most common password in the world.
It’s pretty important to realize that a lot of passwords that you think nobody uses are ones that a lot of people use. “Qwerty,” “password,” “secret;” all of these are used as part of a password a lot, as well as any sequential numbers or current slang.
The key is to use a set of letters, numbers and special characters that are as close to random as possible, yet still memorable to you. Unfortunately, that’s a LOT easier said than done, especially if you are that average American with 250 different passwords.
I have a journal with my passwords in it that I keep in a different room from my computer. I grab it when I’m going to my system, then put it somewhere else when I’m done. I try to change my passwords on a semi-regular basis. The longer the password, the better. If you use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters in a 12-digit password, there are 1.09 quadrillion different combinations (10,900,000,000,000,000).
An innovation that can make the process easier is a password manager program. Password managers are applications that securely store and manage your login credentials, such as usernames and passwords, in an encrypted portion of your computer. They allow you to use one strong master password to access all of your stored information. Windows 11 has built-in managers and also accepts third-party applications. It’s a new type of application, but it’s already a billion-dollar business.
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- Written by: CPCC & IVNet
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