Safer/Stronger Passwords

[pctekno]

I just registered on this site and when trying to change my password from that one provided by eBid the system tells me "Only use the chars A-Z, a-z and 0-9"

These types of passwords are not really strong ones. Why not allowing other characters like !@#$%^&* which make passwords more secure.

[astral276]

I just registered on this site and when trying to change my password from that one provided by eBid the system tells me "Only use the chars A-Z, a-z and 0-9"

These types of passwords are not really strong ones. Why not allowing other characters like !@#$%^&* which make passwords more secure.

How do they make a password more secure? !@#$%^&* are just characters the same as A-Z, a-z and 0-9.

All they would give is a greater number of possible password strings.

A-Z, a-z and 0-9 gives 62 possible characters. My maths isn't up to calculating how many unique passwords could be generated from 62 characters (assuming a minimum length of 6 characters) but must be more than adequate for the level of security required on a site like this.

Anyone's maths good enough to do it?

[papagran40]

Hi astral , not got enough toes....so that lets me out.......papa.

[florida33549]

Hi, Don't know about the password thing, but welcome to ebid.

[raindropsies]

how do they make a password more secure? !@#$%^&* are just characters the same as a-z, a-z and 0-9.

All they would give is a greater number of possible password strings.

A-z, a-z and 0-9 gives 62 possible characters. My maths isn't up to calculating how many unique passwords could be generated from 62 characters (assuming a minimum length of 6 characters) but must be more than adequate for the level of security required on a site like this.

Anyone's maths good enough to do it?

839299365868340224

[deltadelta48]

Many years ago when selling on feebay my computer and my feebay account got highjacked from China. Quite a mess.

I used a very simple password for my computer (variation of my id), for feebay, Paypal, etc. Very easy to guess the passwords and take over my accounts.

So not only do you need a hard to guess combination of letters, numbers, caps and non caps, but you have to make sure that EACH account has a separate and distinct password. Just as important as the password itself.

Easy to take shortcuts when using passwords, but the 30 seconds you save is not worth the risk.

I also an superstitious about always typing in my passwords and not letting the system "remember" them for me. More secure?

[tjsprinting]

passwords, pin numbers( private, business, fuel cards I carry 15 different cards and half of them I no longer use because I have forgotten the damn numbers!!!), phone numbers,birthdays---- my brain cant take anymore,,,,,,shouldnt write them down, shouldnt save them anywhere, the grey hairs on me head are the cells falling out in droves, so I use Identity safe on one computer.
if identity safe didnt remember all my passwords for me I would be stuck, came a cropper on my work computer when I couldnt log into anything i needed -forgot the passwords.
Oh the joys of the modern world

[deltadelta48]

I know your pain. I dusted off my old fashioned little ferris wheel address card thingee to store all the ID/passwords or I would go crazy.

[JaBek1]

I tend to use stuff from my mis-spent youth that only has meaning to me. Different for each site and I change them frequently. I keep a master list in an envelope with wax seal in my safe. If the safe is ever broken into or I find the seal broken I change all the passwords immediately.

Never allow your computer to remember passwords. I also delete all temp files and run both my spyware programs and virus scans daily.

When thinking up new passwords I find it useful to be a bit of an eccentric nature!

Dennis