PASSWORDS

Just how many passwords do we need in today's world to get things done securely. Let's look at a typical day for someone who has an email account, is on LinkedIn; is on Facebook; does PC Banking; does banking at a machine; handles finances for a non-profit group.

First, you need a password to get into your email. Once in, you find that you have an invitation from someone to accept them as a friend on Facebook. You click on the link and guess what, a password is required to go further. Having passed that portal you move back to your email.

Oops, now an invitation has come in to join someone on LinkedIn by clicking on a link in the email. Sure enough another password is required to get into that site and approve the linkage.

The mail arrives and you find your telephone bill in the box. Why go out, just pay it on the PC. But wait, a password is required to ensure you are the only one who can get into that account. Good stuff but still another password to remember and enter.

You then remember that you will have to pay cash for golf today as the club does not take credit cards. So, on the way to the course you drop by a branch of your bank and visit the ATM. You are ahead of me, right, a password or PIN is required to protect you from others getting at your money.

While there you decide to deposit those cheques the members gave you for their association dues at last night's meeting. Another bank card of course and yes, another PIN (password).

Sure you could have all the on-line passwords the same but there is a problem there. If you use the same password to get into your banking as your email is it truly safe? One other slight complication, the programmer for one site requires that you have a mixture of numbers and letters in your password. This is different than the other site that asks for a six digit alpha password only.

Recognizing the need for protection the question of course is should there not be some way that we could be protected and yet not have to strain our memories? I believe there are other ways, finger print scan; retina scan; voice recognition. All have great benefits over remembering a lot of numbers but are all available readily to the general public. Probably not.

So, we will continue to try to remember a multiple number of passwords and hope we can keep them all straight and avoid total frustration by forgetting just one. You know like the one I needed to sign in to even post this blog. Fun Wow!