Xref: utzoo comp.unix.questions:8040 comp.misc:2741 Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!steinmetz!davidsen From: davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions,comp.misc Subject: Re: Password choices Keywords: passwords Message-ID: <11470@steinmetz.ge.com> Date: 6 Jul 88 13:57:46 GMT References: <4387@ptsfa.PacBell.COM> Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen) Organization: General Electric CRD, Schenectady, NY Lines: 26 In article <4387@ptsfa.PacBell.COM> jmc@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. My suggestion is to chose a random sentence from a book and use the first letters. Alternatively, pick a sentence of your own. Example: passwd sentence iutpotm I use this password on this machine athwamw Atilla the Hun was a mighty warrior This makes it VERY hard for someone to look over your shoulder and steal a password, guess a password, etc. In addition, most people who have tried it find it is slightly easier to remember than a single word. My favorite password (from a system with 12 char passwords) sssiacosbikb some say security is a crock of shit but I know better If you type in an environment where someone might watch as you type, be sure you choose a password which can be typed reasonably quickly. -- bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa) {uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me