Re: email passwords

 After a hacker discovered and used my password by using a dictionary hack,
 I stumbled on the simple solution of using the generic name for one of my
 favorite plants (not a garden plant, or commonly known, of course) trailed
 by a few symbols.  When I have to switch passwords every few months, I
 substitute the specific epithet.  Seems unlikely they'll hit on it and now
 I never have trouble remembering my password.

 However,  now that I've told you, will some plant-head out there start
 hacking with scientific names?  (What, don't you have any weeding to
 do??!!)

 Mary Burke, Davis Arboretum (California)

 >Hi Allessandra,
 >Was it you who mentioned a hacker entry in your email system, through a
 >password of someone's name?  Hackers can set dictionaries to work on
 >passwords, and they tirelessly go through the alphabet, though I guess
 >there are safeguards against this now. My son's advice, for the time
 >being, is to place symbols for vowels or consonants in your password,
 >making detection a little harder.
 >All the best,
 >Elly Bade
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