Company password audit

[verytalldave]

During a recent IT password audit at the company where I work, it was found that the engineering managers secretary (she is a typical blonde) was using the following password:
MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofy
When asked why she used such a big password, she said she was told that all passwords had to be at least 8 characters long.

 

[st13phil]

Back in the days when we had a Big Blue mainframe installation, an IBM CE came to do some work on one of the controllers. After the usual pleasantries had been exchanged the CE's just about to go into the machine room when he asks "What's the password for the controller?".

"It's obvious", responds our Op's Manager and the CE continues into the machine room and tries to log on to the controller.

A couple of minutes later he re-emerges and says, "What did you say the password was?".

"It's obvious", replies our Op's Manager again, and the CE wanders back into the machine room and has another go.

A further couple of minutes pass and the CE comes out of the machine room and says, "Look, I know you said the password's obvious, but I'll be b*ggered if I can work out what it is".

"Eh?", says the Op's Manager, somewhat irritated, "I've told you twice now, it's obvious. O-B-V-I-O-U-S". Red faced IBM CE returns to the machine room amidst much guffawing from the assembled operators

 

[Gollom]

I did a "roadshow" for senior IT people couple of years ago and one of the hot topics was IT security. I had a brilliant speaker in from one of the IT security companies and during the course of the morning (by asking seemingly innocuous questions) he succesfully guessed over 50% of the audiences passwords. And remember, these were pretty senior guys, not just IT technicians. (The guy reckoned that if he had a full day his hit rate would be over 70%)

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

This reminds me of a similar experience I once had..

I was working for a large well known pharmaceutical company on their support desk and I had a guy on the phone who kept insisting his keyboard wasn't working..

I asked him several times to make sure it was plugged in at the back but he kept insisting there was no where to plug it in - in the end I gave up and went down to the basement where the labs are..

I went on in and there was this red faced guy with a huge forehead (you could say a bit of a Tefal head.. if you remember the TV ads..) anyway.. he was jumping up and down and pointing to this little square plastic thing next to his computer screen (a VT220) screaming "there's no where to plug it in you imbecile!!!"

I calmly picked up said square item and said.. "this is a mouse, your keyboard works just fine" and left him to it..