I've used a similar technique for years. We've got some systems though that complain there are not 3 characters unique from the previous password! And my usual format of password has a special character, yet we have some systems that don't allow them! So now I've got a "special character" version of password, and one without.

Well, those passwords are for the super duper encrypted places. I have another system for ones that require simplers ones.

What killed Alan Luddon for $100 ?

Ironically , took out my cookies and had to log in again here, almost forgot my password..

I live the password nightmare everyday as well.

But a real pet peeve is those damn challenge questions some systems also use. No joke, once I had a challenge question "what is your dog's name" and the answer had to be at least six characters. My dog had a 5 character name so I had to put a 9 at the end. WTF is up with that? Of course I forgot, and later had to call the helpdesk and rant at them for the idiotic design.

here is latest with the password saga.
i have not been in this one program for a while. i enter my ID and PW, bad PW, so i have request a new one, 15 minute wait. i get the new one, type it in and of course it has to be changed, which is fine, but they make me RE type the current password that i JUST typed in, and make a new PW. when it is done, it logs me out and says i can log back in in 15 minutes!!!! come on, who come up with this crap. whats bad is that another program did the same thing to me not long ago. i just don t get it. they have passworded us so much it is no longer secure, i literally have a have full sheet of paper beside my desk with all my PW's.

i guess this just gives me more time to PELICAN, like work is really gonna take away from this.

Time limits are placed in sensitive programs (like you can only log on once every 15 minutes) to prevents brute-force hacking. If there wasn't some kind of time limit, a hacker can get a program to keep submitting password guesses until it finds it. Locking you out of your account after some number of bad logons accomplishes the same thing.

Without one or both of these, it can take a hacker a matter of minutes to break into a system.

Yep - as hackers get more sophisticated, the passwords need to be more complicated.

I'm in IT as well, and have to manage SEVERAL systems with different passwords. And all of these passwords must be a combination of lowercase/uppercase alpha-numeric sequences. I never write down any of my passwords! Yet, I have been able to remember them (for the most part)

My favorite password ever was: Intergallact1cburntt0ast :)

-Z

I remember most of mine, but have a few that I have to note someplace whether it be in the physical or virtual world.

I'm going to remember this one and use it for something.

Side note: if I change my password just before leaving for vacation, I won't write it down, but will write down something that will jog my memory.

For example, for Intergallact1cburntt0ast I would put a note in my wallet stating: "Scifi bread."
This way, at least my note is one step removed from the actual password.

i think you missed my gripe, i had just logged in, it went straight to the change assword screen, i had to enter my password, AGAIN along with the new assword, then it LOGGED ME OUT (not yelling, just emphasising) and WAIT 15 minutes before i could logg back in. i think i have had 2 different programs do that. how is that secure?

have you seen how many asswords i have? some systems have multiple ID's and PW's. equipement PW= 14, maybe more. PW i use on this computer alone, i have 2 just to turn it on. total i have 17 on the paper next to me. now, you tell me you can remember ALL of those.
since youguys are in IT, why have a banner that pops up to warn me in 9 days my PW will expire, just make me change it. why make me enter my PW when i just entered it to get in and the change PW screen comes up? there was one program that did not tell what the PW had to have, when i changed it, it said wrong format even though that was the previous format, i had to keep trying until i figured it out.
i had to vent, i feel better now.