passwords NOT to use

I often use my maiden name, foreign and unusual plus various meaningful digits, or my mother's maiden name, French and fairly unusual with digits from her date of birth. Have on occasions used the childrens' names, or grandaughter's name, but do keep changing the combinations around. Trouble is you forget what you have used where!

I usually do all the Wrong Things, like using the names of dogs/children as passwords. My sister suggested using the first letters of a memorable phrase. In my life, that would be 'the dogs love going a walk' then adding some capitals and letters to that. Sounds like a plan, though I do like my current passwords, one of which celebrates a much loved, but now deceased dog.

My 8 year old granddaughter asked me to hold on to her ipad min whilst she and her mum went in to see the doctor. I think it took me five seconds to work out her password. Good to know I have the mind of an 8 year old

Using the same password for everything puts all your eggs in one basket. If your security was broken on one thing, the hacker would try that password everywhere else, and it would work. Vary them somehow.

Aka I hope no hackers are reading this. To break your security, they just need to use the first four letters of the website you are accessing, and try 10000 different numbers. With an automatic programme, that is not all that difficult.

At work we had to change passwords once a month. Imagine coming into work phones ringing madly (supposed to answer them in three rings), and trying to get new passwords sorted out under pressure was bound to lead to errors.
The system Helpdesk team were very patient. At one point I used a password with the month and a number but you could only do that for one year as it remembered.
How glad I am to be retired. Santander was the worst for complicated passwords, if you messed it up and it was a complicated code, you had to wait for a letter giving new codes.

I have three spread sheets. One for really confidential stuff, number coded for the site, the other for the passwords for number one. The third is for various other less confidential website logins.

I never write any password down or store it anywhere. Instead I have a very simple method that works for me. I keep 4 numbers that are special to me. Let's call them 2928. Always the same numbers no matter what.

Then I choose the first four letters of that website so Tesco's password would be tesc2928 and amazon amaz2928 and so forth.

Works for me!

My pooter remembers my passwords and I found that I could print off a list via properties . But I won't bank on line. I know it's not safe(see Barclays last week)

I came across an apple app a couple of years ago called 'The vault'. This stores all passwords and any other information you want encrypted. You can back it up to Dropbox in case of serious disaster and if you have more than one Apple product synchronise across them. It's a free app but you can buy extra features. Every time I set up a new account that needs a password I enter it in the Vault. I also store documents, such as travel insurance PDFs in there.

Dear Gransnetters,

Thank you so much for letting me know where you keep your lists of passwords. Will be visiting you soon, look out for me,

all the best

A Nosy Burglar

I also have a list of various passwords in my diary. Of course, if we're broken into, it'll be a real aid for the robbers won't it.

I've use the same password or variations of it for years. Nothing bad has happened. (Yet, of course!).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AZERTY

Oui

Something to do with the position of those letters on a keyboard Tegan?

Tricky test; why would someone use 'azerty' [answers on a poscard please...]

I often use car numbers, either current cars or ones that I've particularly liked

No. You're right Elegran. No rude ones. I'm alright then.

I use a name or word mixed with a couple of numbers. Everything listed and kept in a notebook.

They have not listed "ohbuggerit"

This is why I have my little book of passwords. I would not dream of putting 1234567 or whatever. I use a name and then part of an old telephone number or something like that.

doh!
I usually use someone's name, changing the letter o to a zero, or L to a 1 to strengthen it. In order to remember them all i have a spreadsheet...