Password Security for Seniors I mean (Everyone)

Password Security for Seniors I mean (Everyone)

I am sure all of us at one time or another have agonized over the various passwords and codes that one has to remember on a daily basis.   I know I do. 1st of all I am a system administrator for a military hospital, which will remain nameless.  I have numerous passwords that I have to have on hand for the multiple systems that I administer. I have a password system that is compatible with all military security protocols that are extremely easy to form and to store securely.   I the military uses a two x4 password policy.  Two uppercase, two lowercase, two numbers and. 2 special characters.   This password policy can seem daunting, but it is not as difficult as it looks.  I don't mean passwords in the traditional sense.  What I mean are passphrases.  Something simple to remember but complicated to decipher and duplicate.  That combined with an encrypted location (also password protected) to store them if one has upward of 7 to 10 passwords to remember.  More on that later. Passphrases the key is something easy to remember on a personal basis. Let us try one [!TH@Magn@Charta1215]  and the complexity that is perfect for the security protocols I see every day.

The password listed above either within or including the brackets refers to a historical event and not a word (Yes Captain Obvious I can see that)   The Magna Carta was a document that was signed in 1215 AD.    Notice what it is not.  It is not your daughter’s birthday or her name spelled backward. It is not an event that cannot be directly associated with any individual or is searchable in a database with anyone as a subject of that search. The beauty of this is that it is unique to the writer and the possibilities are endless.  It not tied to real life. The events can be fictional such as (for Star Trek fans) [!TH@K0b@ya$h1M@ru], or Something similar, and less complex like G1l1ppioli1915.

Having many passphrases on hand can be daunting, but there are very secure locations on one's desktop where they can be stored.  In windows, an encrypted password protected folder can be created on the desktop to save the password list if cannot be remembered.  In the Microsoft Office suite, there is an application that makes securing an encrypted file easier. In the OneNote app, there is a provision for a secured file that can contain the list of passwords. Be sure a backup of the data is available in case the record is forgotten, as it is difficult or impossible to recover if that event. Not remembering one's password and the subsequent complications can be tricky, but any security is better than no security at all. Remember numerous applications require passwords and the numbers of applications that require complex passwords are expanding rapidly.   As stated previously I work on a military network we have Common Access Cards that allow us entry into the secured system. 

So many of my colleagues have password lists under their desks that contain the passwords they use on a daily basis. This policy of keeping hard copy lists is a bad security posture and one that can lead to a disaster if not contained.  I spread this message to my colleagues and customers, and some of them have taken that advice to heart.