Since the beginning of school, two teachers have had extreme computer problems. One teacher's hard-drive and data was recovered (it took hours of Bob's volunteer work, but all data was returned to the teacher). Another teacher's hard-drive suddenly locked. There's a logical reason for this, and I confess to only understanding part of it. As of this writing, the outcome of the data within the locked hard drive is unknown.
Just yesterday, a teacher experienced a computer malfunction. Her workstation simply won't power up and all of her precious data is locked within the 6 walls of her PC. Will her data be saved? Tune in next week to see how the drama unfolds..... My point here is not to embarass the people to whom this frustrating experience affects - it's to say, a loss of data CAN and WILL happen to you. I'm begging you to make copies of your work.
But I digress, my Blog topic this week is Passwords. And as it turns out, I'm begging again....Create strong passwords for yourself. Notice I use the plural form of the word password. Please create different passwords for different accounts.
Passwords are like underwear in many ways.
1. Keep them private.
2. Change them when necessary.
3. Don't share them with friends.
4. The longer the better.
5. Don't leave them lying around.
(borrowed from the Information of Technology Central Services at th University of Michigan)
Passwords should be strong. How do you create a strong password?
1. Use something other than a dictionary word or a name.
2. Keep personal information out of your password (initials, birthdates, anniversary dates)
3. Use a combination of symbols, numbers and letters
4. Make it long enough (more than 8 characters is recommended)
Microsoft has a nice password strength tester and more tips for creating a strong password. Check your favorite passwords here. Do they pass Microsoft's strength test?
If you have any password nightmares which support my comments here, please share!
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