USE THEM!!!

A recent phenomenon occuring on our campus is the practice of not using a password to log into a computer. (setting the password as nothing)  I understand that the 3 seconds taken to type in your dog's name are valuable, but I must stress the importance of this practice.  Leaving your password blank opens your computer up to a plethora of viruses, hackers, spyware, even your inconspicuous roomate.  The consequences range from lost time and the nuisance of having to bring your computer in for repair, to (in some cases) the loss of all data on your hard drive.
There is one alternative you have if you do not want to use a password to login to your computer.....never go online.  Ever.  Play Minesweeper, write a Haiku, who cares, just don't go online.  Your computer can get a virus in as little as 2 seconds after you plug in your network cable. 

Here are some general tips for creating and maintaining an effective password:

• Set a password for EACH account that is on your computer.  Accounts that you do not use should be deleted.
• The "Administrator" account cannot be deleted.  By default, there is no password on this account.  Set a password for this account.  NOW. (see video tutorial)
• Common passwords are your first name, your last name, family members' names, your username, your pet's name, favorite sports team, or the words "admin" or "password."  DO NOT USE THESE PASSWORDS.  Anyone with the slightest knowledge of you or the name of your goldfish can figure it out.
• Try to stay away from words found in the dictionary.  Hackers have very advanced password-cracking tools which will try every word in the dictionary, including common simple tricks such as spelling the word backwards or subtitution of certain characters.
• Trailing digits are good, (howdy57) while embedded digits are better. (ho5wd7y)
• NEVER give out your password.  Especially not over the phone.  Information Systems departments set up their infrastucture so that they don't need your password.  Therefore they'll never ask for it.*  Be skeptical of anyone who does.  (*they may ask for the password to the administrator account.  This is so that they may perform administrative functions on the computer without needing to ask for your user account password.  Release this password with caution.)
• Change your password regularly.

Follow these tips, and your internet browsing days will be full of joy and bounty.

-Jason Meyersburg

656.0800