UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 31, Page 8
May 11, 1995
TechTalk
Do you know the answer?

When thinking of a computer password, which of the following is a good
rule to help you select a password?
  A. Choose something that matches your user name. For example, if
     your user name is "mickey," choose "minnie" as your password.
  B. Never select your name, a portion of your Social Security Number,
     your birth date, your user number or user name or any other "easy-
     to-guess" information about yourself as your password.
  C. Ask your friends what passwords they've chosen to get some ideas.
  D. Discuss your choice with a lot of people to see if they think
     it's a good idea.



If you chose B., you are correct! If you chose A., you were trying to
think of a password you could remember without writing it down. Good
idea; however, this particular choice would make your password very
easy to guess. C. and D. are both incorrect since they involve the
sharing of passwords. Never share your password or ask others for
theirs.