Passwords can be irritating. We struggle to conceive new ones, putting them in place for what seems like a couple of days, only to have our computers tell us we will have to change them again in two weeks. The computer even has the audacity to ask if we would like to change it now! When we decline we know the countdown has begun and for the next 14 days we get a reminder accompanied by the polite option to act now or face the inevitable.

Fact: A non-changing password has a greater possibility of being shared, then used by someone other than the legitimate user.

Why do we need these rotten little passwords anyway? Most folks used to know each other's office password and it didn't do any harm. Well, not usually. There was that guy who got fired for surfing porn after hours on John's computer. And because he was using John's computer, John got in trouble, too.

Fact: No matter who is sitting at your computer or any computer logged into with your user-name and password, your identification is associated with the actions taken on that computer.

The company won't even let us use names or words in our passwords. We have to use a cryptic combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols because it's supposed to be more secure. Well it must be, because I forget my password all the time. I have to hide mine under my keyboard. I used to just tape it to my monitor, but they won't let me do that anymore.

Fact: Hacking tools to break security most often look for unprotected default logins and apply dictionary words and proper names in their initial inquiries to isolate a portion of or the entire password of those logins that are protected. These word hacks are not isolated to the English language, so merely using a foreign language adaptation of a simple password will not foil a hacker. Numbers add to the complexity of what a hacker must go through to break a password. Symbols magnify that complexity many times. Do not neutralize the effectiveness of a secure password by writing it down and leaving it near your computer. Passwords are analogous to door locks. Use quality locks and do not leave the keys under the mat. Ultimately you may not be able to stop a dedicated thief from breaking into your home, but you can make it so problematic for him that he would rather move on down the road to an easier target.