Secure Computing: Password Security Tips
Setting your Computer's Password
This page tells you:
- How to set a password on your computer.
- How to set a password that cannot be cracked.
How to set a password on your computer
Many people at Stanford have neglected to set a basic account name and password for their computer. We're not referring to your SUNet ID password, but to the password that gives you, and only you, access to your computer. Without such a password, just about anyone can get into your computer by sitting down at the keyboard. They can even get in remotely, via the Internet. Here's how to set passwords on the types of computers most common at Stanford:
Use MacLeland to protect your computer at the keyboard level, and refer to your instruction manual for information about how to use File Sharing securely. You'll need a password when using File Sharing: see the information below about how to set a good password.
- Solaris
- Linux
How to set a password that cannot be cracked
Hackers use a variety of password cracking programs to help them guess the passwords of systems they want to invade. People help them, accidentally, by using passwords that are easy to guess, such as "password", "changeme", or the name of their dog, home town, friend, or birth month. The tips and tricks described in the SUNet ID Passwords document can be used to create ANY kind of password, not just SUNet ID passwords.