User-agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 (Macintosh/20041206)
Noah Abrahamson wrote:
0) Use a really good password, something like "Ludwig45/entomologist"
or even kookier. This might sound crazy, but it's perhaps your
strongest defense. If a crazy, complicated password is daunting -- and
you're tempted to use something shorter and simpler -- consider writing
Also consider character substitution on a phrase to make it a far more
complicated password, taking something like
jackandjillwentupthehill
can become:
j@(k@j1llw3nt^th3h1ll
Replacing
"a"'s with @
"c" with (
"and" with @
"i"'s with 1 (numeral one)
"e"'s with 3
"up" with ^
Same phrase, just a heck of a lot more complicated to crack it. Also a
lot easier to remember for many than just a random kooky password. :)
One of my personal favorites is to use words/phrases from another
language and do the above to them. I also tend to not substitute every
time, for instance I'd leave the last part as hill to add to the complexity.
(just) this single password on a sticky note and putting it in your
wallet or pocketbook. Hard core security freaks hate this, but if
you're like me and can't remember things very well (hey, the 90s were
rough), it's a acceptable approach. I can deal with the exceptionally
remote risk that someone will mug me outside Borders, steal my wallet,
guesses correctly that I manage servers, figures out the specific
hostname of the specific server at the specific company, figures out
the corresponding account name, and then busts into the machine. You
can use Keychain.app or a thumbdrive or something, but that may limit
which or what type of computer you can use to retrieve the info. Sticky
notes in wallets never crash (except when you wash your wallet in
laundry).
If you go this route and rely on it be sure to keep a copy locked up in
a firesafe somewhere. If your wallet's stolen or you wash it and you
suddenly can't get into your server it's going to be a very bad thing. :)
--
Kevin Staggers
Systems & Network Administrator
Roane County Schools
email@hidden
