Passwords...

A while back you might remember my post about passwords (remember it) Well, password stuff came up today when I was needing to access a web application and I couldn’t seem to get the password right. Then, Geniese informed me of a password she read about…. #4#I!better (pound for pound I bang better.) Anyhow - that prompted me to do some research...

I found info about a poll that questioned 1,200 office workers. It summarized that there are 4 categories of password makers. They are...

FAMILY These people use stuff like their own name, nicknames, partner's names, children's or pet's names. These people are profiled to be... "users appear to be people who are not particularly computer-literate but who have incorporated occasional computer use into their everyday life."

FAN These people pick celebrities like pro-athletes, cartoon characters, actors, and musicians. Apparently variations of David Beckham, Homer Simpson, and Madonna are popular.

SELF-OBSSESED These people choose words like sexy, stud, and goddess.

CRYPTICS These folk choose way weird stuff and abide to the rules found on pages like (this one). You know - rules like "mix uppercase, lowercase, number, and characters." Yeah - these people are "geeks" the survey says.

Also – some of the most common passwords are...

aaa abc academia academic access ada admin adrian adrianna aerobics airplane albany albatross albert alex alexander alf algebra alias aliases alice alicia alisa alison allison alpha alphabet ama amadeus amanda amber amorphous amy analog anchor andrea andromache andy angela angerine angie animals anita ann anna anne annette answer anthropogenic anvils anything april aria ariadne arlene arrow arthur asd asm ass**** athena atmosphere aztecs azure bacchus badass bailey banana bananas bandit banks barbara barber baritone bart bartman basic bass bassoon batch batman beach beater beauty beaver becky beethoven beloved benz beowulf berkeley berlin berliner beryl beta beth betsie betty beverly bicameral bishop bitch bob bradley brandi brandy brenda brian bridget broadway bsd bumbling burgess cad camille campanile candi candy cantor cardinal caren carla carmen carol carole carolina caroline carrie carson cascades castle cat catherine cathy cayuga cecily celtics cerulean change charity charles charming charon chat chem chemistry chess chester christina christine christy cigar cindy class classic claudia cluster clusters code coffee coke collins commrades computer comrade comrades condo condom connect connie console cookie cooper cornelius couscous create creation creosote cretin criminal cristina crystal cshrc cynthia daemon daisy dana dancer daniel danielle danny dapper data dave dawn deb debbie deborah december default defoe deluge denise desiree desperate develop device dial diana diane diet dieter digital disc discovery disk disney dog dos drought dulce duncan eager earth easier easy eatme edges edinburgh edwin edwina egghead eiderdown eileen einstein elaine elanor elephant elizabeth ellen email emerald emily emmanuel enemy engine engineer enterprise enzyme erenity erica erika erin ersatz establish estate eternity euclid evelyn extension fairway felicia fender fermat ferrari fidelity field file finite fishers flakes float flower flowers foolproof football foresight format forsyhe fourier fred friend frighten fun function fungible gabriel games gardner garfield gatt gauss george gertrude gibson gina ginger glacier gnu golf golfer gorgeous gorges gosling gouge graham grahm group gryphon gucci guess guest guitar gumption guntis hack hacker hal hamlet handily happening harmony harold harvey hawaii heather hebrides heidi heinlein hello help herbert hiawatha hibernia hidden holly homework honey horse horus hutchins hydrogen ibm imbroglio imperial include ingres ingress ingrid inna innocuous internet irene irishman isis jackie jane janet janice janie japan jasmin jean jeanne jen jenni jennifer jenny jessica jester jill jixian joanne jody johnny joseph joshua joy joyce judith judy juggle julia julie june jupiter karen karie karina kate kathleen kathrine kathy katina katrina kelly keri kermit kernel kerri kerrie kerry key kim kimberly kirkland kitten knight krista kristen kristi kristie kristin kristine kristy ladle lambda lamination lana lara larkin larry laura lazarus leah lebesgue lee leland leroy leslie (I didn't use this one, but at least I made the list!) lewis library light linda lisa lisp liz lock lockout lois lori lorin lorraine louis love lucy lynn lynne macintosh mack maggot magic mail maint malcolm malcom manager mara marci marcy maria marietta mark markus marni mars marty marvin mary master math maurice meagan megan melissa mellon memory mercury merlin mets mgr michael michele michelle mickey mike minimum minsky mit modem mogul moguls monica moose morley mouse mozart mutant nagel nancy napoleon nasa nepenthe neptune ness net network new news newton next nicole nita nobody noreen noxious nuclear nutrition nyquist ceanography ocelot office olivetti olivia open operator oracle orca orwell osiris outlaw oxford pacific pad painless pakistan pam pamela paper papers pass password pat patricia patty paula pencil penelope penguin penis peoria percolate persimmon persona pete peter philip phoenix phone pierre pizza plane playboy plover pluto plymouth polly polynomial pondering pork porsche poster power praise precious prelude presto prince princeton priv private privs professor profile program protect protozoa pub public pumpkin puneet puppet qwerty rabbit rachel rachelle rachmaninoff rainbow raindrop raleigh random rascal reagan really rebecca regional remote renee rick ripple risc rje robin robot robotics robyn rochelle rochester rodent rolex romano ronald root rose rosebud rosemary roses ruben rules ruth sal samantha sandra sandy sara sarah saturn saxon scamper scheme school scott scotty secret security sensor serenity service sesame sex shannon sharc shark sharks sharon sheffield sheldon shell sherri shirley s*** shiva shivers shuttle signature simon simple simpsons singer single smile smiles smooch smother snatch snoopy soap socrates somebody sondra sonia sonya sossina sparrows spit spring springer squires stacey staci stacie stacy steph stephanie strangle stratford student stuttgart subway success summer sun super superstage superuser support supported surfer susan susanne susie suzanne suzie swearer sybil symmetry sys sysadmin system tamara tami tamie tammy tangerine tape tara target tarragon taylor tech telephone temptation tennis terminal test thailand theresa tiffany tiger tina toggle tomato topography tortoise toxic toyota traci tracie tracy trails transfer trisha trivial trombone tty tubas tuttle umesh unhappy unicorn unix unknown uranus urchin ursula util utility uucp valerie vasant venus veronica vertigo vicky village virgin virginia visitor wargames warren water weenie wendi wendy whatever whatnot whiting whitney wholesale will william williamsburg willie wilma winston wisconsin wizard wombat woodwind word work wormwood wyoming xfer xmodem xyz xyzzy yaco yang yellowstone yolanda yosemite zap zimmerman zmodem

(The ones in bold are without a doubt passwords I have used myself.)

You can use this Web site (earlier listed in this post) to evaluate your password - scroll just about to the bottom. It is the only form on the page.


And if you have a hard time remembering all your passwords, try this guys handy technique. (GEEK!)