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Re: Algorithm for generating memorable passwords?

To: REALbasic NUG <realbasic-nug at lists dot realsoftware dot com>
Subject: Re: Algorithm for generating memorable passwords?
From: Ian Piper <ianpiper at mac dot com>
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:29:28 +0100
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Delivered-to: realbasic-nug at lists dot realsoftware dot com
References: <A5038E7A-9B8F-4707-B063-10899F1CB9D9 at mac dot com> <596E487F-7224-4E84-8B2B-7B52F6CB9F57 at great-white-software dot com> <43609B3D-3AFF-492B-A4DF-6A71E984C024 at rbdeveloper dot com> <34797009-E672-42BA-9ECA-EEDBE38DB517 at great-white-software dot com>
On 29 Jun 2007, at 8:24 am, Norman Palardy wrote:

> But, the case I mentioned the users had no control of passwords.
> The system assigned them at and refreshed them at periods that varied
> from 30 - 60 days and your old password only worked 2 more times then
> the new one had to be used.
> Quite draconian.
> But it prevented people from doing something I saw a lot of people do
> on Vax systems where passwords were set to expire.
> They'd simply use a base password and add a digit to the end (ie/
> password1) and next month when it expired increment the digit so
> password1 became password2.

Interestingly, in a VAX system I used to use it only measured the  
first 8 characters of your password, having established, when you  
changed your password, that it really had changed. So people used to  
use the same 8 character password and just add numbers to the end  
(which they never used when logging in) whenever it asked them to  
change.


> Since a lot of system would only refuse to let you reuse a password
> in 12 months you never had to have more than a few of them with
> digits at the end.
>
> Users can overcome any system you put in place to increase security :)

Thanks to all for the replies. It looks as though I am going to have  
to implement my own solution. To explain why I wanted this, for one  
of my applications people have to run a setup wizard that asks them  
for a password. I wanted to offer a "suggest" button that would  
create a reasonably secure and reasonably memorable password just as  
a suggestion for them, so they could take that or create their own.

Having thought about it a bit more it isn't after all too difficult.  
I  hope.

Thanks again,


Ian.
--
Ian Piper
ianpiper at mac dot com
skype: ianmpiper
--
If I'd asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster  
horses (Henry Ford)



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