Re: Spaces in passwords

[Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>]

On Thu, 18 Apr 1996, Jon Leonard wrote:

> > Ben Rothke writes:
> 
> The exception to this is when you may be overheard typing a password.
> The space bar sounds different, and an attacker who knows you've used
> a space has a significantly smaller search space.
> 
> So I usually recommend avoiding space, @, #, and control characters
> when generating passwords.  Have I missed any or gotten too many?  
> 
Why would you want to avoid #, @, etc. ?

I have a hard enough time getting lusers to choose non-dictionary 
passwords that they can *remember* - one technique is to teach sub-100 
i.q. types to use two words, seperated by a #,@, etc., with a number 
tossed in: kill#pig1et, which isn't a dictionary word, but has a chance of 
being remembered without writing it on a sticky note and pasting it to 
the @#%&ing monitor.

- r.w.