OT: Online Banking Security!

[R D S]

I had a system in mind for generating passwords for various different institutions which was easy for me to remember but I reckon impossible for anyone else to work out. But then the clever security bods started to want a number in a password so the above system was adapted accordingly no problem, some then wanted special characters so you adapt again, some now dictate what the special characters can be and the one you've tended to isn't valid.

Needless to say across numerous cards/accounts I can't always remember what I ended up with so I have a written list and if anyone found it, it would be an absolute #### up.

My Santander accounts should be safe though, I didn't need to write anything in the list. If anyone wants to try to guess my passcode post below and if you get it within 5 attempts i'll transfer you what's in there, but only if you can also give me the passcode that will be sent to my phone :)

[Adrian Caspersz]

Ok, I'll bite (The odds are better than the national lottery)

2020

[Tim Lamb]

Judging by my wife's choices year of birth and birthplace do well!

[#Paul]

I suggest mangling the list slightly; add a fixed but small number of extraneous characters to the beginning or end, which you will have to remember to delete when typing the password. For extra fun, also remember to add some fixed sequence common to all passwords:

e.g. for passwords which are (hypothetically) exactly these:

newlion_77, newhyena!44

you might instead write them down in your list as

lion_77mix, hyena!44mix

You will know to add "new" at the beginning, and remove "mix" from the end; but the written down passwords will not work as is.

Obviously it would be better if the passwords, and the fixed added and removed sequences were longer and more complicated, but hopefully you get the general idea. You've got a list to help remember complicated passwords, but the list is not any kind of immediate giveaway.

#Paul

[R D S]

That will do for me!