Study: Workers often jot down passwords

TalkBack 21 of 27:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

Writing down passwords

To me, it is acceptable to write down a password until one has memorized it, provided that the paper remains in the posession of the user at all times (where other people can't see it, like a purse or wallet) and is disposed of securely once it is no longer required. Leaving passwords on one's desk or monitor is completely unacceptable and should be a firing offense. Alternatively, if a sysadmin can find out what a user's password is, he should be required to change it and then notify the user that the password has been changed (or maybe let the user guess!).

For any security policy to be effective, however, it must have the full support of top management and there can be no exceptions (even for the CEO). This usually requires the boss to have a sense of humor. It also goes against millenia-old traditions of enforcing rules more leniently on the aristocracy than on ordinary citizens, but such traditions cause all manner of other problems and should be abolished (if anything, executives should be punished more, not less, harshly for breaches of the rules than ordinary employees).

Posted by: John L. Ries   Posted on: 10/18/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Building the Virtualized Enterprise with VMware Infrastructure VMware VMware virtualization software has been adopted by over 120,000 enterprise ... Download Now
• The Impact of Virtualization Software on Operating Environments VMware Today's use of virtualization technology allows IT professionals to ... Download Now
• Building the Virtualized Enterprise with VMware Iinfrastructure VMware VMware virtualization software has been adopted by over 120,000 enterprise ... Download Now