Would you sing? Would you dance? Would you give out your computer password? A recent BBC poll found that "more than 70% of people would reveal their computer password in exchange for a bar of chocolate". 34% of them even gave out the info willing without being bribed for anything in return.
And people wonder why computer security is so awful right now...
Essentially, people are complaining because they have to remember 3 or 4 passwords and they're sick of it. 80% responded by saying they hate passwords and would like a better way to securely login to their computer(s).
One can't help but wonder just what else they think they're going to use instead of passwords.
I can't for the life of me understand peoples' aversion to passwords. They're a simple and efficient method of security so long as you create and use them appropriately. At one point in my life I had to remember no less than about 20 different passwords all at the same time (and all for use), and I did so with only minor difficulty. This is why it never fails to amaze me when someone can't even remember 1 or 2 passswords that they've used for years.
If you want an amusing and entertaining read on passwords, check out this thread at Slashdot pertaining to the BBC article. While the thread contains the usual amount of schlock, it also has some interesting comments and thoughts on passwords, and it's interesting to see how many passwords the average geek has memorized and how they're used.
-- Primis.
Keep in mind this is coming from Britain. Not that I have anything against British folk, because certainly I don't. But, this is also a country which right now is debating implementing a tax on chocolate and other junk food in order to trim the burgeoning British waistline. It is also a country in which in another recent poll, the majority of smokers responded that they'd rather give up sex than cigarettes. Just some food for thought (no pun intended). The story was quite amusing. By the way Rik- how's it going?
Cousin Dave
It's the futbal in Britain. It makes you crraaaazzzzyyyyyy. ;-)
I'm trying to stay sane and hoping that people are actually reading this stuff on my site, heh. People aren't commenting much, or even viewing the stories. WAKE UP PEOPLE, I know you're out there. :-)
-- Primis.
I'm awake, but just barely.....zzzzzzzz
When I worked tech support in college, I was surprised by the number of profs and staff members who kept their one password on a Post-It note stuck to their monitor. And how it was always the same password every time I went to their office for three years. These are the people who were working to educate me as well as hundreds of other students every year, and that sort of thing was not an impressive display of intelligence.
(Although it made it real easy for someone like me to remember dozens of faculty/staff logins if I ever wanted to use my powers for eee-vil.)
And regarding the growing British waistline (pun intended), I spent a few weeks in England last year and noticed the sheer amount of ice cream, chocolate and other junk food that everyone seemed to be eating. And let's not forget about clotted cream (now with twice the heart attack-causing power of regular butter!), which is extremely tasty when slathered all over a scone or two at tea every single day. I spent a lot of time going up and down stairs in train stations behind people who have been eating clotted cream and scones for their whole lives, and to make a long story short, let's just say I unfortunately spent a lot of time staring at a phenomenon I called "scone butt." It wasn't pretty.
Syd -
It was in the British Isles that deep-fried Mars bars were invented. Just as a point of note. ;-)
In regards to passwords, when I worked for AT&T all kinds of TS's and OM's had their passwords on post-it's in their cubicle or office. Or worse yet, at one point the company was using the exact same process to generate a "random password" based on everyone's SS numbers that local banks were using to generate PIN numbers. And so several of my passwords were also my bank's PIN number at the time. When I pointed this out, and also that it was AGAINST FEDERAL LAW FOR THEM TO USE OR REQUIRE ANYONE'S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FOR ANY NON-GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSE, they decided it'd be wise for them to do something different.
I had several administrative applications though that required me to use a brand-new password every month. After 2 years, you begin to runout of ideas, heh.
-- Primis.
I didn't imagine my quib about the British waistline would produce such response! Indeed, when I was in school at a British university, I actually noticed that everyone over there seemed by and large thinner than their American counterparts. But, I was living with as many Continentals as British students and this may be why. Anyway, my favorite meal in Britain (one of the few that actually filled me up) was their (stereotypical) fish and chips. One or two large piece of deep-fried cod smothered with chips and coated with malt vinegar and or mayonasse. Excellent fair indeed, but I don't imagine the healthiest! As for the comment about the professor with his password(s) on one post-it-note attached to his computer screen, it is amazing how careless people can be with electronic means of data transfer and communication! Imagine the trouble this person could get in if someone broke into his office and committed a whole sluee of crimes while logged onto the university's network under this professor's password! It seems as though memory isn't THAT hard of a thing to train in order to avoid such a risk, is it?
David -
Wel, knowing some of the professors I've know over the years, they may be brilliant in their own field but they often are lacking in basic life skills so... ;-) It's not surprising that these are some of the worst offenders when it comes to being careless with passwords.
I especially enjoyed a comment on Slashdot about how a very high-ranking company exec kept forgetting his password for his computer -- and it was his first name.
Good times...
-- Primis.
The only other viable option I can think of would require some sort of DNA identification, or perhaps thumb print or retina ID or something... but I think its easier (and more cost efficient) just to remember a simple 4 to 8 letter password. As for the "Post It"s, I'm sure any local tatto parlor could etch your password backwards on your forhead for $20 or so ;-p
I've been told by an Army reservist (who was stationed in the UK) that people in britain pay taxes for simple things like house windows and TV? And I though WE payed too much tax...