I would estimate that between our internal systems at work and all the courts across the country where I file documents electronically, I have to use at least a dozen different passwords and user names, several of which must be changed periodically. On top of that, there are all the electronic accounts we keep at home – banking, on-line shopping and the like. And, of course, there are the keys to this place as well as Llama Central.
Because I had to go round and get checked in for a new security badge yesterday, something suddenly occured to me: Sooner or later, those Big Guv’mint types who have been yearning for citizen identity cards and a centralized national database are going to make the pitch that such a system would allow us to do away with all these pesky different ID’s and passwords, thereby eliminating the need to keep track of all of them and the headache of losing them. Indeed, I can even see the argument that a subcutanious microchip implant with a unique identifier, coupled with a universal scanner attached to all electronic devices, would eliminate the need for remembering any user ID or password.
And we, rayther than rising up in wrathful defense of our civil liberties, are instead going to be grateful for the convenience and will go along quite cheerfully.
See if we don’t.
3 comments
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June 26, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Diane
The mark of the beast? We’ve become so accustomed to our technologies moving towards multifunctionalism (phones that are cameras, web browsers, GPS units, book readers, game consoles and more – they may even do laundry!) that a move like this would, as you say, simply seem the newest and latest improvement, liberties be damned.
We’ll put up with some astonishing things in the name of convenience.
June 26, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Fear and Loathing in Georgetown
I use this.
http://keepass.info/
June 30, 2009 at 2:12 am
Chuck
Robbo– I work for a Federal agency and have to change passwords for several programs that I access routinely on 60-90 day schedules. This frequent change is intended to improve computer security–make it harder for someone to get your password and access your diskspace/accounts. We’re advised to memorize our passwords and never write them down. But the only acceptable passwords are those at least 9 characters long and requiring various combinations of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special symbols. Without a photographic memory, it is impossible for a normal human being to remember these, especially having to change them so often. Everyone has to write them down some way, some how. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it–how come the IT folks don’t realize that?