Security : User Name and Password

If a password system is in use then before you can access a computer system you must enter a valid user name and password . The process of entering this information and being granted (or refused) access to a computer is known as logging on.

Passwords can be guessed or "cracked" and so the success of these systems depends upon users choosing passwords wisely and keeping them secret. Following a simple set of guidelines like these will help make a passworded system more secure :

• Change your password regularly.
• Make your password at least eight characters long.
• Do not write down your password or tell it to anyone else.
• Do not use proper words or phrases - these can be found using a dictionary cracker.
• Use a mixture of upper and lower case letters and numbers.

Attempting to guess a password to gain unauthorised entrance to a computer system is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

Password systems are often used on computers connected to a network. The user name that you log on to a computer system with will determine which files you can access. A user should only be given access to files that he or she needs to use. Limiting the files that a user can access will limit the amount of damage that he or she might do either deliberately or accidentally.

As with limiting physical access to a computer system, the use of a password system will not prevent authorised users such as employees from damaging or stealing data. A more secure alternative to a username and password is a biometric system.

GCSE ICT Companion 04 - (C) P Meakin 2004