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Would you trade your password for chocolate?

OK, security pros, let's talk just amongst ourselves for just a minute. You might have seen that recent news item that reported that 70 per cent of people would willingly trade their computer password for a bar of chocolate. I don't know about you, but that left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. Even worse, 34 per cent would give away their password for nothing! WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING?!

Clearly, we need to better educate the unwashed masses about the importance of keeping their passwords secure. Along with that, helping them come up with better passwords would be nice. I'm sure you're as sick as I am of seeing passwords like "password", "beer", or "123456".

Here's my suggestion: copy the letter below and send it to everyone that needs it. You know who they are. Don't send this part - we don't want them to know that we've been talking about them behind their backs. Just send the letter below, and then follow up with a phone call or a short conversation, just to make sure they "got it." It's not going to be a panacea, but it'll be a start.

And if one of them returns from a break wiping chocolate off their hands, you know whose password to change immediately. Copy this letter... and hand it out.