Passwords
changing passwords
Passwords are private, secret access codes that
allow us to enter computers or other restricted areas of Cyberspace.
Stealing passwords is illegal.
It is a violation of the Federal Law, 18 USC 1029. That law says
that if you are in possession of passwords that were not given
to you and if you have the intent to use the passwords to do something
you're not supposed to do, you could go to jail.
" Intent" means what you're planning to do with the passwords. No one can read
your mind. But if you have passwords you're not supposed to have, and if there
is no good reason for having them, then it's easy to say that you have bad intentions.
Using the password illegally to get into a computer without permission breaks
another law and that is how many criminal hackers have been caught. There are
many other state laws too, some of which also make it illegal to possess passwords
that are not yours to use. Please be very careful.
On your computer at home or in school, you may use
passwords that let you access your files but not your sister's or
mother's. On many popular web sites, you need a password to read
files, play games or do research. Many internal sites require payment
(usually by credit card) for you to use the site. This is how the
sites can afford to stay in business so they use passwords to keep
out non-paying people.
Passwords are used in combination with a User ID. For example, the User ID
for your e-mail might be 'Tron 123' which is how the e-mail systems know who
you are. To prove who you are, though, you also have to use a password that
matches your User ID. If it doesn't match, you don't get in.
Often your computer remembers them and you don't have
to enter them by hand every time you get your e-mail.
It is up to you to protect your passwords so that
other people cannot have access to your private files, your e-mail
or even your entire computer.
The problem with passwords is that some are too easy. They may be easy to guess,
like your name, your birth date, your mother's or your favorite food. The reason
we pick those is because they are easy to remember, but they are also weak
passwords that other people can guess, too.
Good, strong passwords are usually harder to guess, but they are also harder
to remember. Actually, it is easier to remember a longer password, which is
like a phrase. An easy trick is to pick a long password that uses both alpha
(the letters a to z) and numbers (0 to 9).
An example: 12Mom34; MyDogis9;
Make your passwords as long as you can. Why?
Because there are software programs called "password crackers" that can break
into computers and programs. They test millions of combinations very quickly,
and if you have chosen a simple, easy to remember password, 'it is easier to
guess.
Do not share your passwords with other people;
You might find yourself in trouble.
What if a friend has the password to your e-mail account and then writes nasty
e-mails to people you know? Everyone will think that it was you who wrote the
e-mail and not your friend.'That friend could also give your password to other
people who also can cause you trouble.
It's a very good idea to change your passwords once in a while to protect
yourself.
That is the way big businesses try to protect themselves from criminal
hackers and it's worth the effort.
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Questions To Ask Yourself?
You are at a friend's house. He tells you he has the passwords to the school
computer. You watch him break in. What is the right thing to do?
What's the difference between breaking into a computer and watching someone
else do it?
Is there any time that using someone else's password would be ethically OK,
even if it might mean breaking the law? Can you come up with at least three
examples?
Password
Use and Selection
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~helpline/security/passwords.html
Methods
for Maintaining and Using Passwords
www.pace.edu/nesug/proceedings/nesug00/ap/Ap2005.pdf
SUNet
ID Passwords
http://lelanddocs.stanford.edu/passwords.html