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The Lovely Harvey has begun her annual grapple with the US Tax Code.
This is yet another case where computers and the internet have made the task both easier and more difficult.
At least three cries of, "why would I expect my password to work twice?" have been uttered.
Every place she needs to log into has demanded a change of password and verification.
Since she has to do the verification, literally, every time she uses these sites (once a year at tax time) why even have the password?
Personally, I detest passwords. Particularly when they want you to change and change and change them, and won't let you come up with one you can remember. If I understand correctly, that was part of Hillary *spit* Clinton's problem with the internet, and if so, I find myself reluctantly slightly sympathetic.
ReplyDeleteExtreme password policies can often actually reduce security because they force most people to do things that they shouldn't, like write down passwords or use password managers... which isn't necessarily bad unless those get compromised. There are risks with them if you ever use a computer that is shared or even if you just don't use a screen locker and someone happens by where you are logged in (like in a work environment, less of an issue at home unless you have people in your household who are unauthorized like party guests, tradesmen, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI really hate sites that insist that passwords have to have a certain number of certain types of characters. Again, in a certain way this may actually reduce security for similar reasons to above as well as it actually reduces the effective password space by eliminating a whole lot of possibilities. Theoretically that could help attack methods which employ any kind of brute force methodology.
I have one for another State agency I occasionally have to log into and it requires me to use an "alternate" browser and "incognito mode" to get to it... And once I get there I have to jump through the "I forgot my password" hoops despite knowing full well I have not (password manager since it is a stupid long/complex one)... EVERY time I log in. And they wonder why I tend to avoid doing that...
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