Can't remember all your passwords? Try these tricks There is no
perfect way to make passwords both convenient and safe, but
there are some tricks and techniques that can help. A recent
column on the relative security of complex passwords and simpler
— but possibly safer — pass phrases caught the attention of a
number of readers. Apparently, quite a few people struggle with
the challenge of keeping their portfolio of passwords secure and
manageable at the same time. The problem with passwords is that
managing secure ones becomes difficult when you have more than
one or two, and most people have many more than that. A typical
complex password runs to eight characters and contains letters,
numerals and special characters. A pass phrase, as the word
implies, is much longer. But because the phrase can mean
something to the user, it can be easier to remember, and its
length can make it strong without arbitrary characters. Mushegh
Hakhinian, security architect at IntraLinks, pointed out in a
recent blog posting that