I'm sorry, but your password must contain

[pscot]

an uppercase letter, a number, a haiku, a gang sign, a heiroglyph and the blood of a virgin.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

1. Password combinations

- 8 characters, letters and numerals: 36^8 ~ 3 x 10^12
- 8 characters, u/c and l/c letters and numerals: 62^8 ~ 218 x 10^12
- 12 characters, letters only: 95 x 10^18

My IT security people are now insisting on 3 of the 5 password food groups: l/c letters, u/c letters, symbols, numerals and unicode characters
Oh, and it has to be changed every 90 days.



Really? unicode characters! Maybe they need to learn scientific notation and some basic probability.

[-none]

10. And you are encouraged to not write them down, as someone may steal it.

I used to have to deal with some 25 passwords at work, some of which I needed only once a month. Each had their own rules for what they could and could not contain. Then they matched some of the passwords to words in a dictionary. So if you had any embedded words or acronyms in your password, it was rejected. But still they allowed passwords such as Asdfghjkl;1 or variations there of.

[Paper Roses]

2. And a memory better than mine!!!

[lostnfound]

3. Bain of my existence, remembering the damn things

If an IT department has layers of passwords and dual user IDs nesting within layers of windows, internal networks, and multiple applications, they should all be fired for sabotaging productivity

[Flying Squirrel]

8. I just have an Excel spreadsheet called "Passwords"

I update it anytime I have to create or change one. A note on smart phone would work too.

[pscot]

9. I started using a rolodex about 10 years ago

It can't be hacked and it never crashes.

[hobbit709]

4. I had one place where they wanted me to change the password every 6 months

Then they decided I couldn't reuse a previous password.
When I changed it to UR1Majorclusterfuck! they haven't asked me to change it again. I think they're afraid to find out what my next on will be.

[GoneFishin]

5. The infinite combinations of only letters and digits are too limited. Beavis and Butthead at work.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Updated to Windows 10, did we?

[pscot]

7. Microsoft is security crazed

But it's not just them. Our devices are driving us nuts.