Chocolate the key to uncovering PC passwords

According to a train station survey of 300 office workers carried out in London, the disturbing statistic that 64 per cent of those surveyed would hand over their office computer passwords for a bar of chocolate "and a smile".

Good-looking, chocolate-bearing researchers apparently had to probe a bit harder with the IT professionals than random train platform suits in order to get passwords, but the questions were simple.

Researchers asked IT conference delegates if they knew what the most common password is and then asked them what their password was. Only 22 per cent of IT professionals revealed their "Open Sesame" at this point, compared to 40 per cent of non-techie commuters. If at first they refused to give their password, researchers would then ask if it was based on a child, pet, football team, etc, and then suggest potential passwords by guessing the name of their child or team. By using this social engineering technique, a further 42 per cent of IT professionals and 22 per cent of commuters inadvertently revealed their password.

Even after all the stories in the press and internet people are still amazingly lax about passwords and use them willy-nilly. They use simple to guess ones and don't change them. They use the same password for every account, be it for Bebo, or their Bank and then they wonder why their accounts are emptied.

If in any doubt follow the simple advice here. Don't forget don't use the same passwords for all types of accounts. Use a number of passwords and use them according to the type of system you are using.

For example for a simple logon to a newspaper or something simple with only some basic details at risk, use a fairly simple password and don't bother too much about it.
For a system that stores more useful information like addresses use another and change it at least yearly.
For E-mail accounts use another and change it every 90 days.

Finally for Banking or really personnel information use a good long password according to all the rules and change it often (at least every 90 days), don't use it for anything else and don't store it on your computer or anywhere else!

Don't forget all the other Online Guidelines and stop taking chocolate from passing blondes!


Chocolate the key to uncovering PC passwords | The Register