Lorrie Faith Cranor: What’s wrong with your pa$$w0rd?- TED TALK on Technology

Lorrie Faith Cranor: What’s wrong with your pa$$w0rd?

(http://www.ted.com/talks/lorrie_faith_cranor_what_s_wrong_with_your_pa_w0rd#t-603523)

As technology developed, common password requirements were amped up in order to maintain security within the websites that contain a password log ins. The guidelines to be followed is that there should be eight or more letters, one uppercase and one lowercase, a character, and no words found in the dictionary. This ensured a lower percentage of people getting their account hacked or messed with.

She passed around a survey to people on the campus to get their opinions on the new password policy, and sure enough 470 surveys stated that many thought the policy is annoying, and others felt more secure with their new passwords.

Many people aren’t using the variety of symbols on the keyboard, they’re sticking to “!”. Formerly, the password policy was called “Basic8”, meaning your password only required eight characters. Smart attackers can break into accounts if you choose a basic password that’s commonly used.

Questions

1. Do you understand why passwords are required to be more complex?
2. What does “Basic8” mean?
3. Why were passwords so accessible to hackers before the password policy change?
4. Do you prefer the old password policy? Why or why not?
5. Why can’t there be less than eight characters?
6. Why was the new policy created?
7. Why do people write down their passwords?
8. How do people feel about the password policy?
9. What was the purpose of the survey?
10. Do you think that this new policy will spread beyond this one particular website?