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Stupid Fucking Security Systems
Aug. 17th, 2006 09:48 pmWhen the glorious company demutualised recently, we all got some shares. Which was nice.
Said shares are now managed by an online share-dealing system run by a third party. We were all issued user names and passwords to allow us to log in to this.
My "username" is a single letter followed by a 10 digit number. My password is a 5 digit number.
Because, yes, I can remember that kind of thing.
They _did_ allow me to change the password. To another 5 digit number.
I have _no_ other 5 digit numbers in my life. So I can't reuse any other password. And I'm not going to log into this more than once or twice a year.
Which means I can either change the password to something blindingly obvious, or write it down.
And I'm never going to remember the username either. So I'll need to store that somewhere.
Probably with the number stored on it. Because the bastards _won't let me_ choose a blindingly obvious password. Or one with a simple pattern. At least not one simple enough that I can remember it.
Why is it that my bank (who manage thousands of pounds) is happy with a rotating series of five questions, whereas my share dealing company (which is looking after £500 worth of shares I didn't even earn) requires security so annoyingly over the top that I'm going to have to violate basic security principles just so I can log in in the future?
Said shares are now managed by an online share-dealing system run by a third party. We were all issued user names and passwords to allow us to log in to this.
My "username" is a single letter followed by a 10 digit number. My password is a 5 digit number.
Because, yes, I can remember that kind of thing.
They _did_ allow me to change the password. To another 5 digit number.
I have _no_ other 5 digit numbers in my life. So I can't reuse any other password. And I'm not going to log into this more than once or twice a year.
Which means I can either change the password to something blindingly obvious, or write it down.
And I'm never going to remember the username either. So I'll need to store that somewhere.
Probably with the number stored on it. Because the bastards _won't let me_ choose a blindingly obvious password. Or one with a simple pattern. At least not one simple enough that I can remember it.
Why is it that my bank (who manage thousands of pounds) is happy with a rotating series of five questions, whereas my share dealing company (which is looking after £500 worth of shares I didn't even earn) requires security so annoyingly over the top that I'm going to have to violate basic security principles just so I can log in in the future?
