Had to change passwords for my computers at work. The IT Powers-that-Be have changed the rules for passwords, in an effort to thwart hackers.

The result has been that it's actually very difficult to create a password that satifies all their requirements (capital letter in a certain position, at least two numbers, etc). And there are three different systems, each requiring its own individual password.

In the good old days, I had the same password for all three systems. This morning, as a result of the IT techies' orgasmic re-definition of what is acceptable as a password (different tech for each system), I now have three different, impossible to remember passwords.

All I can say is, we'd better be guarding the crown jewels, or at the very least Fort Knox, for all of these complex secret codes. [insert sounds of gnashing of teeth] I wonder if these IT geniuses used to play with Star Ranger Code Rings as kids.

(These are the same folks who used to think that using the name of our company as the universal password was sufficient security). I do believe they've gone a little too far in the other direction.

Time to get out my little personal notebook (where I keep my own passwords) and make up a page for my work passwords. At least we can keep our same user names (though user name is different for each system). I wonder if the day will come when we have to change user names each time we have to re-create passwords.