As we all know, every year the school computers require a new password to be used.
Not only this, but the new password must:
1) Not be the same as your previous 24 passwords.
2) Not be similar to your logon name.
3) Not be similar to your name.
4) Not be similar to other commonly used passwords.
5) Contain an upper alpha character.
6) Contain a lower alpha character.
7) Contain at least one number or special character.
8) Contain at least 8 letters.
Eight different restrictions to protect my school account? Current password standards and restrictions make me feel like my Y-Drive is safer than my bank account, computer, and Facebook account combined.
Flashback to my freshman year, when I changed my password with relative ease. Not knowing I would have to change it every year, I also changed all of my other passwords to various other accounts to the school password I had just created.
But then sophomore year rolled around and I was told I needed to change my password, again. After a grueling hour of mindlessly trying different passwords, I finally found one that worked. I just chose a random word, capitalized the first letter, slapped a number on the end, and voilá. Throughout the whole first semester I proceeded to keep typing my old password over and over until I realized I was mistakenly typing last year’s password or a password from some other year.
Rinse and repeat throughout my junior year and so far during my senior year. Thanks to this
system of password changing I have a plethora of different passwords for every one of my different accounts.
So unnecessary, so avoidable.
As I begrudgingly attempt to change my password each year, I find myself coming back to the same question every time: why is my Y-Drive so important? Why does it have the be the most secure account I have? Would I care if someone logged into my Facebook account, computer, or cell phone? Absolutely.
Well. we can sleep well at night knowing our Y-Drives are safe.
