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General discussion

How often do you change your passwords?

Feb 22, 2006 9:35AM PST

How often do you change your passwords?

Once a week
Every other week
Once a month
Every six months
Rarely
Never, I live on the edge

Discussion is locked

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(NT) (NT) Monthly for 12+ character alphanumeric passcodes.
Feb 22, 2006 12:21PM PST
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Change passwords?
Feb 24, 2006 2:50AM PST

Are you kidding? I'd sooner have a root canal. I can barely remember the ones I have let alone changing them. XP gives me that little reminded every so often (I must have set it up for password recognition) and it annoys me no end.
I guess I have a lot of company....78% of us are Rarely or never....living on the edge.

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Changing passwords
Feb 25, 2006 12:32AM PST

Yes I know that I should but I cannot remember passwords and would forget.
I am the only one who uses this computer and I keep all antivirus and anti spy ware up to date and run them often.I'll just take my chances and avoid the inconvenience of not knowing the correct password Jeanric

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Suitable password length?
Feb 23, 2006 1:57PM PST

Well I never change my passwords too often, maybe once a year or so, and I use the same password for every site and logins so that I do not have trouble remembering each one of them.

Hey, that brings a question to my mind about the suitable length of password. How long do you think a good password is when it's:
a) alpha-numeric case-sensitive
b) characters only without numbers

Might we turn it to a poll?

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Changing passwords with new computer and
Feb 24, 2006 12:00AM PST

I am upgrading to a new computer and going to change all my passwords. I have not changed my passwords prior to this because I was under the assumption that most of my passwords were hard to figure out. They had upper and lower case; numbers and symbols.

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Passwords and memory
Feb 23, 2006 6:28PM PST

Even as a young man I forgot where I parked my bicycle let alone remembering words. Now, at middle age I keep the same
password because if I think up a new one I am sure I couldnt remember. Writing it down would defeat the purpose of security. So better one intricate password than a lot I can`t remember.

Minormidas

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Changing passwords: why?
Feb 23, 2006 7:00PM PST

I don't see any point in changing passwords. So long as you don't give your password to anyone (and I never have, and never will), and don't write it down or do anything to lose it, I don't see that changing your password buys you one iota of extra security.

If someone is going to "hack" your password, presumably by some automated method of trying huge combinations of passwords, it doesn't really matter whether you changed it yesterday or not, right? They're going to hack today's version.

It seems to me that by having a secure password (mine is a nonsense word and some interspersed numbers, completely unguessable) and keeping it to yourself, you are just as safe as someone who changes passwords frequently.

I have basically two passwords, one that I use for sites where a password security breach could cause me real harm (i.e. banking sites, and the like) and another for sites where security isn't so important to me (online shopping sites.) I assume the banking sites have the best security, and I don't entrust my banking password to fly-by-night sites that might not have high security standards.

Ideally, of course, I'd have a different password for every site. But I'd have to write them down then, which defeats the whole purpose!

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Really
Feb 26, 2006 10:55AM PST

Please lets not forget about the codebreakers. They try every letter and number until they get the right one...one at a time...may take awhile but still it gets the job done. No I don't change only on sites that require you to have numbers in your password.

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Passwords and memory
Feb 25, 2006 6:56AM PST

I'll second that thought... I have paswords to prevent some one from the outside from accessing my system. My family also knows most of my passwords and I don't have anything important or valuable on my system. I run Zone Alarm firewall but if someone was to get in I would change my passwords.

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Passwords
Feb 23, 2006 7:40PM PST

Ok, great answer, but limited. now that you've advise our KIDS to change THEIR passwords often, HOW DO WE as parents locate UNKNOWN PASSWORDS on our kids systems? or is that too much for you guru's to understand Parent responsiblities begin at home even in a home
of Trust their is still verify....
semper fi
onetinsoldierusmc

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Suggestions...
Feb 24, 2006 9:44AM PST

* If you really want to know their passwords, ask them! If they won't tell you, bar them from using the computer.

* Spend $200 for a password-recovery program that will reveal the passwords of anyone/everyone using the computer. Think LostPassword.com.

* Use software that limits or monitors their actions. For suggestions and reviews, click here.

* If you use Windows XP, give them Limited User accounts so that you can access their information from your account. If they make the folder private, take ownership of the files/folder. Also, learn about using permissions to limit what they can and cannot do.

* If it is another version of Windows anyone can access anyone's files, so browse. Just beware of encryption software. If you encounter that, go to the source...your kids.

With the computer in the living room or other open family area, supervision (even if you just poke your head in every so often), the proper guidance, and a few protectve software measures, you can greatly reduce the chance of ever having a crisis involving your children and the computer.

Hope this helps,
John

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It seems that, in the interest of security
Feb 23, 2006 8:12PM PST

This question should not be asked. If a person calls on you saying he represents a home security system company and asks you what kind of system you have, are you going to tell him? Would you tell him "none"? If so, you may have just set yourself up for a break in. "Don't ask, don't tell". That's how I see this.

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I Never Change My Password (Rarely)
Feb 23, 2006 8:25PM PST

I run twin AMD 2000 plus 1 gig of ram, but my way of never changing passwords is because I have 5 SCSI removerable drives and all my info is stored in DOS in a UNIX shell on one of these drives. The software I use to retrieve this info is from "KROLL ONTRACK".
Using Good Electronic technology is the safest way to store data, and remember,

"Never write when you can talk. Never talk when you can nod. And never put anything in an email."
The Viking

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Passwords
Feb 23, 2006 9:31PM PST

PROTECTION! PROTECTION! PROTECTION! 6 months or bust!

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Changing Password frequency depends on site
Feb 23, 2006 10:01PM PST

Some sites have far more sensitive info, and I change them at least every 6 months. Others are non-sensitive, such as some newsletter sites, and I don't put personal data on them, not even phone number or city. These I might not ever change.

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Never change passwords.....
Feb 23, 2006 10:05PM PST

All my passwords are not stored on any computer.
I never allow any site to store it for automatic log-on. I don't keep personal info on my main hard drive. It's all stored on a seperate drive that is only powered up when needed. What I do have is a written list that I keep locked away.

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Passwords programs
Feb 24, 2006 12:23AM PST

I only change passwords on very sensitive sites - likes banks etc. on a regular basis - otherwise I leave them alone.

I have used Norton Password Mgr. for the last couple years. It works well. For some reason Norton dropped the program. Just recently I bought a new Toshiba laptop with a "fingerprint" utility. It is excellent. It has a primary password to access the stored fingerprint passwords. That is th only one I remember. It is a single word and not stored in anywhere, except in my mind. That is about as secure as I will ever be.

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Fingerprints
Feb 24, 2006 2:25AM PST

Ah, yes, fingerprints. It would be the safest method to use nowadays and omit the use of password, but is it really accurate and easy to use? My friend have some problems with the fingerprint reader on his laptop, because sometimes the reader won't read his fingerprint unless it's perfectly in the perfect position that he scanned his fingerprint in the beginning.

Do you also have this kind of problem? Is this problem maybe related to the hardware or all fingerprint readers are just like that?

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Fingerprint defense
Feb 25, 2006 9:20AM PST

My fingerprint utility works fine. Certainly you need to be diligent in scanning your fingerprint ? but the utility does not appear to require ?perfection?. It takes a little practice to get the right recognition by the utility. But really, would you want a fingerprint utility that accepted sloppy scanning of the user ? I think not. So far I like it, but ask me again in 6 months.

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Changing Password
Feb 24, 2006 6:22AM PST

I had to vote rarely, heck, I have a tough time just remembering the passwords I already have. For me, changing them would cause my mind to go down on overload. Can't they come up with a better way than passwords??

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Using your computer how can you managenewapplicationsoftware
Feb 24, 2006 1:59PM PST

Hi pals, my name is Ernesto, I'm from Cuba but I'm currently living in Colombia, please I'd like to have information about how could I manage about new software application.

Regards, Ernesto.

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I have a set of 8 passwords.
Feb 25, 2006 1:40PM PST

Each password is different, the 8 represents the number of digits. Each is more or less secure.

88888888 I use this password for most things that I share with other people that I trust and Instant Message log in.

8888888888: This is a slightly stronger one that I use for forums such as this one.

8888888888888: Something I use for onetime forms.

88888888888888888: This is my strongest password, I use it for online purchases.

888888888: This one changes all the time. It is my computer log in password.

88888888: I use this one for banking, since my account is a read only, it didn't need to be strong, but did need to be unique.

8888888: RMA processes.

pointless: I know a little bit about 'people hacking'. This includes means getting information from people by talking to them. One great way to get a password from someone is to create a website that requires log in / registration. Then have the person you are targeting to register. If they only use one password all the time, then they just fave you thier master password. Owned. So I use the password pointless for things I don't at all care about. Wink

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No choice for 3 months?
Feb 26, 2006 3:48AM PST

That would've made sense in where the Windows domain (if not them then several of the places I've worked at) requires people to change their passwords every 3 months. Not only that, but using 3 a combo of uppercase, lowercase, number, and certain symbols.

That being said, I voted rarely

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Passwords
Feb 26, 2006 8:22PM PST

Lo Marc,welcome aboard.
I personally don't change my password or usernames any more.Used to have different passwords and usernames for all the websites I belong to but it got so that I couldn't remember which was which for which site.Used to write em down on pieces of paper or a pad but didn't put down which site they belonged to,lose the paper,on and on.
Now I just use the same ones for everywhere and believe me,when your up in your 60's and 70's,it sure makes things a whole lot easier.
I don't buy anything over the Internet nor do any on line banking so there's really nothing anyone can steal that's worth anything."Keep it simple" has become my motto.The only place I have a highly secure,complicated password is on my computer itself.Not just for the sign on screen but all files and folders are also password protected.THAT ONE I WRITE DOWN AND PUT AWAY--JUST IN CASE!!.The way most all websites are worked today,you seldom ever have to log in anyways as they recognise you soon as you land there---as long as you don't sign out or delete your cookie folder.SS