Perfect Passwords: Selection, Protection, Authentication - Softcover

Mark Burnett

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1597490415 ISBN 13: 9781597490412

Publisher: Syngress, 2005

Synopsis

User passwords are the keys to the network kingdom, yet most users choose overly simplistic passwords (like password) that anyone could guess, while system administrators demand impossible to remember passwords littered with obscure characters and random numerals.

Every computer user must face the problems of password security. According to a recent British study, passwords are usually obvious: around 50 percent of computer users select passwords based on names of a family member, spouse, partner, or a pet. Many users face the problem of selecting strong passwords that meet corporate security requirements. Too often, systems reject user-selected passwords because they are not long enough or otherwise do not meet complexity requirements. This book teaches users how to select passwords that always meet complexity requirements.

A typical computer user must remember dozens of passwords and they are told to make them all unique and never write them down. For most users, the solution is easy passwords that follow simple patterns. This book teaches users how to select strong passwords they can easily remember.

* Examines the password problem from the perspective of the administrator trying to secure their network
* Author Mark Burnett has accumulated and analyzed over 1,000,000 user passwords and through his research has discovered what works, what doesn't work, and how many people probably have dogs named Spot
* Throughout the book, Burnett sprinkles interesting and humorous password ranging from the Top 20 dog names to the number of references to the King James Bible in passwords

About this title

Review

"What is the key to coming up with a secure password? Length. Use 10 characters or more, says Mark Burnett, author of Perfect Passwords (Syngress, $26, amazon.com). "Best are passwords that consist of a few parts"―words, prefixes, spelled-out numbers. Good examples: bluebananas and skyisfalling. "They’re easy to remember, and when you’re prompted to switch your password, you can just swap out one chunk," he says. With this method, foursaltypeanuts becomes foursaltycashews."--Real Simple Magazine

Edition details

• Publisher: Syngress
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1597490415
• ISBN 13: 9781597490412
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 182