Dust said:
Does anyone have a suggestion for a password program that is free and
would
generate passwords for me?
Just Google for one.
Look on BetaNews.com or TuCows.com or similar pages.
Be specific about what you want when using Google.
If you don't want a password storage/management solution, eliminate those
words from your search.
"Password Generator" freeware would be a good search term - with the
quotes..
I don't recommend ever using a generator though - you'll never remember them
and writing them down/storing them un-encrypted is worse than having a bad
password, really.
Understanding what a good password might be is vital to your
personal and system security. You may think you do not need to password
your home computer, as you may have it in a locked area (your home) where
no one else has access to it. Remember, however, you aren't always
"in that locked area" when using your computer online - meaning you likely
have usernames and passwords associated with web sites and the likes that
you would prefer other people do not discover/use. This is why you should
understand and utilize good passwords.
Good passwords are those that meet these general rules
(mileage may vary):
Passwords should contain at least six characters, and the character
string should contain at least three of these four character types:
- uppercase letters
- lowercase letters
- numerals
- nonalphanumeric characters (e.g., *, %, &, !,
Passwords should not contain your name/username.
Passwords should be unique to you and easy to remember.
One method many people are using today is to make up a phrase that
describes a point in their life and then turning that phrase into their
password by using only certain letters out of each word in that phrase.
It's much better than using your birthday month/year or your anniversary
in a pure sense. For example, let's say my phrase is:
'Moved to new home in 2004'
I could come up with this password from that:
'Mv2n3whmN04'
I highly recommend you periodically change your passwords.
The suggested time varies, but I will throw out a 'once in every
3 to 6 months for every account you have.'