Most likely they will change their tune once one of them get bit by a hacker getting in and the resulting lawsuits start flying, but that figures.
Jon On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 8:49 PM, Webster <webs...@carlwebster.com> wrote: > Most financial sites (many banks and investment sites [Vanguard, eTrade]) > do not allow complex passwords!**** > > ** ** > > Carl Webster**** > > Consultant and Citrix Technology Professional**** > > http://www.CarlWebster.com <http://www.carlwebster.com/>**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *From:* Andrew S. Baker [mailto:asbz...@gmail.com] > *Sent:* Wednesday, August 10, 2011 7:23 PM > > *To:* NT System Admin Issues > *Subject:* RE: Almost, but not quite OT: Passwords**** > > ** ** > > > And, many apps *still*have limits on password length that hamper passwords > above 10 or 12 characters.**** > > -ASB: http://about.me/Andrew.S.Baker**** > > Sent from my Motorola Droid**** > > On Aug 10, 2011 6:10 PM, "Webster" <webs...@carlwebster.com> wrote: > > Because the security team and or auditor are simply following a check > list. Complex passwords required - check. My job is done. > > > > Carl Webster > > Consultant and Citrix Technology Professional > > http://www.CarlWebster.com<http://www.carlwebster.com/> > > > > > > From: Steve Kradel [mailto:skra...@zetetic.net] > > Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 5:06 PM > > To: NT System Admin Issues > > Subject: Re: Almost, but not quite OT: Passwords > > > > It looks like Randall @ xkcd supposes each word in "correct horse battery > staple" has 11 bits of entropy, which is to say, the person choosing the > password has a comfortable vocabulary of 2^11 (2,048) words from which he > will pick four at random. (2048^4 is the same as 2^44.) I think 2,048 words > is a pretty low estimate, at least in English, but that's not really the > point... > > > > On the other hand, he suggests forcing people to choose "strong" > passwords presses humans into a doofy pattern that is actually much *less* > random than four dictionary words. 16 bits of uncertainty for the "uncommon > base word" means the user has possibly picked a "difficult" dictionary word > (from a vocabulary of 2^16 = 65,536 words -- generously more than a normal > person knows), and then mangles it up a little bit in semi-predictable ways > to satisfy the password strength checker. > > > > It definitely raises an interesting question... why do so many > organizations elect for minimum 8-character complex passwords, instead of > "non-complex" passphrases of at least 16 or 20 characters, when the latter > would be easier to remember and probably stronger? > > > > --Steve > > On Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 5:33 PM, Crawford, Scott <crawfo...@evangel.edu > <mailto:crawfo...@evangel.edu>> wrote: > > Interesting. I'd like to understand how the bits of entropy are > calculated though. > > > > From: Andrew S. Baker [mailto:asbz...@gmail.com<mailto:asbz...@gmail.com > >] > > Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2011 4:06 PM > > To: NT System Admin Issues > > Subject: Almost, but not quite OT: Passwords > > > > http://xkcd.com/936/# <http://xkcd.com/936/><http://xkcd.com/936/> > > > > Yet, very pertinent. > > **** > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
