Posts
My Password Phobia
By Gopinath Mavinkurve
Published in the Times of India on 3rd July 2008
Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/Access_Blues/articleshow/3190014.cms
The complete version of my article is below – only for my blog readers!
I suspect the world is conspiring against me to block me from my bank accounts, my email accounts, my blog account, my own spaces. As soon as I approach any Bank ATM, I suffer from a panic attack… will I remember my current password? Or will I be “Denied Access!” to my own accounts and shunted out like an intruder?
It is not that my organization skills are at fault. I have stored all my passwords carefully, from where only I can access them. But the trouble is, I do not remember where! My email accounts also offer me such bouts of anxiety. Having to deal with numerous such alphabets, numbers and characters, I am challenged, much the same way, as the protagonist, Ishaan was, in the movie “Taare Zameen Par”. These characters start dancing to the tune of “Bam Bam Bole” in front of my eyes!
Finally, I decided to rein in these dancing characters down to my secret excel sheet, containing my passwords. One fine morning, after I was done with this task, I heaved a sigh of relief. But the secret excel sheet would need a password for access! And where do you think I stored this password? In the same excel file, where else? My life is a Maze! How amaze-ing!
My office has a password policy requires me to change passwords every month. It has to have more than 8 characters, with alpha and numeric characters as well as a special character thrown in for good measure. The changed password needs to be substantially different and you cannot repeat any of the last four passwords which I have used! I am told that it is for the security of the information contained in my emails! This practice is now spreading thanks to well-intentioned IT guys, who are putting up the pop-up message “Your current password has expired! Please change your password to continue.”
I am now required to update my secret excel sheet whenever I encounter this pop-up message!. So that is another thing I have got to remember to do from time to time. The only feature that comes to my help, in times of trouble, is the facility put up for the mentally challenged people like me: “Forgot your Password? Enter your Date of Birth and your Mother’s Maiden name”.
Ever since my Hard Disk crashed, all efforts to revive the excel sheet failed despite all efforts by the recovery specialist. Our IT head foresees better times for me in the future. He expects fingerprinting-recognition technology and eye-recognition technology devices to replace the Password-based access to ATMs and computers. I am eagerly waiting for these crazy characters to be consigned to the Recycle Bin when I shall jump up with joy and proclaim, “Look Ma, No Passwords!”
Send your feedback, either “!!!!!!!!!” or “^$@%$*@!” - to my email address: g_mavinkurve@hotmail.com. I may just be able to access it, if my stars are in the right position!
By Gopinath Mavinkurve
Published in the Times of India on 3rd July 2008
Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/Access_Blues/articleshow/3190014.cms
The complete version of my article is below – only for my blog readers!
I suspect the world is conspiring against me to block me from my bank accounts, my email accounts, my blog account, my own spaces. As soon as I approach any Bank ATM, I suffer from a panic attack… will I remember my current password? Or will I be “Denied Access!” to my own accounts and shunted out like an intruder?
It is not that my organization skills are at fault. I have stored all my passwords carefully, from where only I can access them. But the trouble is, I do not remember where! My email accounts also offer me such bouts of anxiety. Having to deal with numerous such alphabets, numbers and characters, I am challenged, much the same way, as the protagonist, Ishaan was, in the movie “Taare Zameen Par”. These characters start dancing to the tune of “Bam Bam Bole” in front of my eyes!
Finally, I decided to rein in these dancing characters down to my secret excel sheet, containing my passwords. One fine morning, after I was done with this task, I heaved a sigh of relief. But the secret excel sheet would need a password for access! And where do you think I stored this password? In the same excel file, where else? My life is a Maze! How amaze-ing!
My office has a password policy requires me to change passwords every month. It has to have more than 8 characters, with alpha and numeric characters as well as a special character thrown in for good measure. The changed password needs to be substantially different and you cannot repeat any of the last four passwords which I have used! I am told that it is for the security of the information contained in my emails! This practice is now spreading thanks to well-intentioned IT guys, who are putting up the pop-up message “Your current password has expired! Please change your password to continue.”
I am now required to update my secret excel sheet whenever I encounter this pop-up message!. So that is another thing I have got to remember to do from time to time. The only feature that comes to my help, in times of trouble, is the facility put up for the mentally challenged people like me: “Forgot your Password? Enter your Date of Birth and your Mother’s Maiden name”.
Ever since my Hard Disk crashed, all efforts to revive the excel sheet failed despite all efforts by the recovery specialist. Our IT head foresees better times for me in the future. He expects fingerprinting-recognition technology and eye-recognition technology devices to replace the Password-based access to ATMs and computers. I am eagerly waiting for these crazy characters to be consigned to the Recycle Bin when I shall jump up with joy and proclaim, “Look Ma, No Passwords!”
Send your feedback, either “!!!!!!!!!” or “^$@%$*@!” - to my email address: g_mavinkurve@hotmail.com. I may just be able to access it, if my stars are in the right position!
