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A sequence of characters required to
log in or otherwise gain access to a computer system. Despite widespread
publicity about the importance of choosing a secure password, many systems
and networks are cracked by deducing the passwords to people's computers.
Current theory suggests that passwords should consist of both letters and
numbers, as these are much harder to guess than even random combinations of
one or the other. Birthdays, telephone numbers, or names of spouses or pets
are obvious targets, as are obscene words, cartoon characters, religious
expressions and actors' names. Some security experts even advise against
choosing any word that is in any dictionary, as programs exist that can try
every word from all the most popular lexicons. |
