Computer passwords

Do you have problems remembering your passwords? At least I do. I try to change all my passwords every now and then and when I do I have a really hard time remembering them. I know writing them down is not a good thing to do and I only use that method for a few days, until I've learned the new ones. Then I burn the piece of paper.

There are many, many threats on the internet today and you really should take the time to go through your passwords and see if they are safe enough. A password is like a toothbrush - it's personal and you need to have it changed ever so often. A safe password is at least 8 characters long, it's a mix between uppercase and lower case letters, numbers and other signs. It should never be a proper word or a telephone number. sIVy2%Dx9 is a very safe password because it's long enough and it's a mix of different kinds of characters. Use this as a model when you make your own and remember to change them at least every 6 months. Computer safety was one of my favorite subjects when I studied programming a few years back.

If you forget your password you don't need to worry. There are software programs that check your computer and find your lost passwords. Password-studio at http://www.password-studio.com/ is a program for Word, Access and Excel password recovery. It helps you open Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and Access databases. If you use your computer for professional purposes you really should get into the habit of putting passwords on your documents, so that only authorized people will have access to your files in case of problem. This program can come in handy if you need to retrieve the password to an important file.

Don't forget, better safe than sorry. Use passwords and protect yourself and your computer.