Choosing ‘Password’ – my bitter experience

Before disclosing my experience of working of my system with the new password, but be careful in choosing the PW next.

In this tech era putting password to electronic gadgets is an art. A password is a nub or string of characters used for authentication to prove identity to access approval to gain access to resource which should be kept secret from those not allowed access.

In fact, the use of passwords is known to be ancient as sentries would challenge those wishing to enter an area or approaching it to supply a password or watchword.

But in this tech era, the user names and especially the passwords are commonly used by people during a log in process that controls access to protect computer operating systems, mobile phones, ATM (Automated Teller Machines) etcetera. A typical computer user has passwords for many purposes – logging into accounts, retrieving email, accessing applications, networks, web sites and even reading certain morning newspaper online.

I don’t think, despite the name, there is need for password to be actual words. Rather, it should be generally short enough as per the requirement of the online site but to be easily memorized and typed otherwise one has to face number of problems in logging in. In that event, one has to change the same and sometimes confused over changing over to the new password.

Frankly speaking, the easier a password is for the owner to remember generally but at the sametime it means it will be easier for an attacker to guess. However, passwords which are difficult to remember may also reduce the security of a system because - users might need to write down or electronically store the password - users will need frequent password resets - users are more likely to re-use the same password. Similarly, the more stringent requirements for password strength, e.g. "have a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and digits" or "change it monthly", the greater the degree to which users will subvert the system. Others argue longer passwords provide more security than shorter passwords with a wide variety of characters.

Anyhow, whatever may be the criteria or formula to select the password but I had a bitter experience in choosing the password for my WiFi. I started from very simple passwords which were easy to remember but when it became common with friends, I started making it more complex so that these are not cracked or easy to remember. But when I myself started forgetting all the time, it became a problem for me to log in at my own place.

When my electronic gadgets started giving me trouble and the system was reinstalled, all the time new password was selected on the advice of my technical consultant as the system don’t accept the old password. Perhaps, this provision has been kept by a pungent experience of the software designers to keep the log in system more authentic by its real owner.

Despite all these measures, my system was giving me a problem, showing connected to the WiFi but logging in, showing mismatch of the password when I forget to put down the caps lock key down and sometimes on. It did work sometime when I go near to the modem installed to get a better signal.

I added and removed the log in by opening network and sharing centre on the system. Normally, when I had to do important work and post instantly the top stories on the online web portals before the same are disclosed by some other journalist, it did not work, may be due to the same old technical reasons. Or due to the password which I have put lastly which too was disturbing me after putting in the system. The password had come to my mind to easily remember was with the incidence of recent attack by the terrorists at Pathankot. I was fed with my operating system as on certain times, I had to go to cafeteria to log in or to the place where I could get the easily access to WiFi. Last but not the least it may be, the movement I changed the password – Pakistan – my system is working like a bullet train which is yet to be introduced in our country. Before disclosing my experience of working of my system with the new password, but be careful in choosing the PW next.