Why You Must Change Your Password Today

May 5, 2010 in technology,time management with View Comments

Are passwords a time management problem for you?

How much time do you waste trying to remember passwords?  Or resetting them?  Even worse, have you ever had to clean up after one of your passwords was compromised?

If you are like most people, you have at least a few accounts that you regularly cannot get into without resetting the password first.  In fact, many help desks report that 50% or more of their support calls are password issues.

More worrisome is that many people have bad password habits which basically makes them a problem waiting to happen…

Password Pop Quiz

Are any of these you?

  • Do you use the same password for more than 3 accounts? I bet you do.  Most people use a common password for almost all of their accounts.
  • Do your passwords contain the names of your kids or pets? The majority of people have passwords that are simply a combination of their kids names and birthdays.
  • Do you have passwords that you have not changed in over a year? Many people have been using the same passwords on their banking/credit card accounts for years.
  • Do you write your passwords down in easy to find places? Unbelievable, but many people still keep the PIN to their ATM card in their wallet.  Beyond that, people tend to tape their passwords to their laptop or keyboard.  (True!  You will find at least one in every workplace).

The Problem with Passwords

Passwords are pesky things.  And they like to waste our time.  They waste our time when we cannot remember them and they waste a lot of time when they are compromised or fall into the wrong hands.

So, why do people have such problems with passwords?  Here are a few reasons:

  • People are not good at remembering difficult passwords. Our brains are not wired to remember “S4#54SfgBH@#$.”  They simply are not.  Instead, they like to remember things like “JaneandJohn.”
  • People do not like to change their passwords. People resist change and this applies to their passwords, too.  Once they get settled with their password, they want to keep it the same.
  • People can be lazy. Due to these issues, people tend to use the same password across all their accounts.

How much time do you waste trying to remember passwords?  Or resetting them?

Change Your Passwords Today

So, today’s exercise is to change your passwords.  Yes, all of them if you need to.

Some tips:

  1. Resist using the same password for multiple accounts. Just don’t.  I know many people, that if you got their password, you could get into all of their accounts from work to home to banking.  Don’t set yourself up for this.
  2. Do use a password tracking app such as SplashID or 1Password. These great apps will help you track all your miscellaneous passwords.  They will keep your accounts secure and also save you time when they help you remember your info without having to go through a password reset.  They pay for themselves quickly and both have mobile versions so that you can safely carry your passwords with you anywhere.
  3. Create strong passwords. Don’t use family or pet names.  One of the best tips is to use a phrase or song title.  Simply take the first letter of each word.  And then add some numbers or symbols.  For example, “When the Saints Go Marching In” could be “WtSgMi453.”  (And no…that is not one of my passwords.)
  4. Better yet, let SplashID or 1Password auto-generate a strong password for you. Granted these auto-generated passwords will not be easily remembered, but if you are using the apps to auto-fill or remember your passwords, you will be good to go.

Safer Than Sorry

It amazes me how many people never change their password and then act surprised when their email, Facebook, or Twitter account is compromised.  There have been recent news stories that Chinese hackers have been trying to attack Google and that a Russian hacker was selling 1.5 million Facebook account passwords.  Did you change your passwords?  Probably not.

I too have one bank password that has not changed in 3 years.  I am going to change it today. (done!)

And that password for that online account that I always forget…I am adding that to my 1Password application right now. (done!)

What are you doing to prevent your passwords from becoming an issue?

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  • http://www.ronsmap.com/ Ron Morrison

    Craig,

    Thanks you for posting this article. It’s a good wake up call and reminder to me. I’ve shared it (your link) on a blog post in Automotive Digital Marketing. Keep up the great work with your efficient tweets and posts.

    Ron

  • http://www.ronsmap.com Ron Morrison

    Craig,

    Thanks you for posting this article. It’s a good wake up call and reminder to me. I’ve shared it (your link) on a blog post in Automotive Digital Marketing. Keep up the great work with your efficient tweets and posts.

    Ron

  • http://www.thedigitalists.com Greg H

    I find it ironic to hear this sort of advice coming from a productivity expert. The biggest time-suck associated with passwords is the hours we spend trying to remember, retrieve and reset the increasingly complex, frequently updated text strings for all of our various logins. And doesn't consolidating them all in a single app just increase the danger? (I know, I know — those apps can themselves be password protected. So that's one more you have to memorize.)

    Furthermore, it's not even clear how much these tactics really protect us. Yes, if someone is actively trying to guess at your password, it may help to have a complex one that you update frequently. But if someone installs a piece of malware that logs your keystrokes, or if you click on a phishing link and go to a bogus version of a site, it doesn't really matter how clever your password is.

    To be honest, I don't know what the answer is. Maybe we just have to wait until retinal scanners become standard on every monitor.

  • bryantp

    Passwords are easy to remember. Just put them on a sticky note and attach it to your monitor.

  • http://www.timemanagementninja.com Craig

    Funny, but true.

    I used to work for a internet security company and when we would do security sweeps, you would always find a workstation that had passwords taped on it.

    Hint: Check for Post-It notes under the keyboard. :)

  • http://www.timemanagementninja.com Craig

    Greg, I hear ya! Looking up passwords and dealing with being locked out of accounts wastes lots of time.

    However, what wastes even more time, is when someone compromises one of your accounts. :)

    Yes, putting all your passwords into a password manager does centralize your passwords, but most people are not going to be able to reach your personal computer or device. Anyone can touch your email or Facebook.

    Like your idea of eye scanners. Best wishes!

  • Mark

    I recenty started using 1Password and have found it to be a real help to getting around internet based services. I have added to my 1P database the sites that I used to always forgot. This has saved a lot of time not having to go the 'Forgot your password?' email route. I've signed up for a few new web services knowing that 1P is managing it for me. I'm a GTD implimenter and a password manager means that I can externalize (not keep passwords in my head) and simplify my workflow with filling out new forms online and signing in really fast to familiar sites.

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