Passwords, like underwear, should be kept private, and need to be changed every couple of years or they cease to be secure.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s time for me to change my passwords, which means I\u2019m spending a lot of time on the \u201cMy account\u201d section of websites updating things. and getting rather frustrated with the inconsistency being demonstrated by various IT departments about what makes a secure password.<\/p>\n
The truth is I\u2019m a computer geek, I think I have a pretty Good idea of what makes a password secure. Preferably it should be a random string of all 95 printable ASCII characters (Upercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols) but, since it\u2019s no good for security if you can\u2019t remember it and have to keep it on a stickynote stuck to your monitor. It should be memorable.<\/p>\n
\u201c1mXun#\u201d for instance is a fabulous password. This seemingly random series of letters and symbols is not something anyone would ever guess, yet it\u2019s easy for me to remember. (it\u2019s the phrase \u201cI am not a number\u201d spelled in a funky way)<\/p>\n
But of course there is also the problem of password reuse. If I use \u201c1mXun#\u201d for my bank. I should not also use it for my Gaming Account on JoesFlashGames.com which is why I always have a backup password that\u2019s less secure but even easier to remember like \u201cExodus16:36\u201d<\/p>\n
The problem comes when some webmaster thinks they\u2019re clever, and decides to make it impossible for anybody to use a stupid password such as their name, or the word \u201cpassword\u201d and starts making up rules. When that happens I\u2019ll type in my new password \u201c1mXun#\u201d<\/p>\n
***** <\/p>\n
And it will spit back \u201cpasswords must be 8 characters or longer\u201d
Well okay fine, I\u2019ll use my other one \u201cExodus16:36\u201d <\/p>\n
*********** <\/p>\n
\u201dPasswords must not contain and identifiable word\u201d
Dangit , I bet it doesn\u2019t know this word \u201cPreterest Miroslav Vulfianism\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201d****************************\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201dPasswords must contain each of the following: one (1) uppercase letter, one (1) lowercase letter and one (1) symbol\u201d<\/p>\n
SWEET MOTHER MARY OF THE SEVEN SORROWS!!! FINE! \u201dPa$$w0rd\u201d <\/p>\n
********<\/p>\n
\u201cYour password is accepted\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Do you notice how, the more restrictions I bump into, the more insecure my password becomes? I already naturally want to have a strong secure password, but I also have other stuff to do with my life, and the more you attempt to prevent me by force from being an idiot, the more tempted I am to be just enough of a non idiot to make you shut up.<\/p>\n
Notice also that this would not be a problem if every site had the same standard. If everyone wanted an 8 character alpha numeric password it would be fine, I would get a small password like that and forget about it. but every site is different, and whenever I don\u2019t fit into the box, I start finding ways to climb out.<\/p>\n
This happens in the church constantly. Which is why you see people who wouldn’t dream of kissing until they get married, but will cheat on their girlfriends and in their studies. Or you see people who\u2019ve memorized whole chapters of scripture but refuse to talk to people that aren\u2019t like them.<\/p>\n
We want to protect people from having a unstable spiritual life, we want to prevent them from phoning it in with something like \u201cpassword\u201d and just coming to church on Sunday. So we require small groups, or devos, or learning Greek before we really consider you spiritually mature and ready for leadership. <\/p>\n
But sometimes I haven\u2019t been to your \u201cFaithRoots\u2122\u201d training course, because I\u2019ve been too busy witnessing in the GLBT community, and you write me off. Or you put me on a pedestal because I\u2019m there 3 nights a week, but I\u2019m actually not really listening and capable of much more.<\/p>\n
This is the eternal problem with programs. And probably why Jesus didn\u2019t have any and just hung out with people all day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Passwords, like underwear, should be kept private, and need to be changed every couple of years or they cease to be secure. It\u2019s time for me to change my passwords, which means I\u2019m spending a lot of time on the \u201cMy account\u201d section of websites updating things. and getting rather frustrated with the inconsistency being…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":391,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n