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Posted: November 20, 2012
Double Click
OK, you look at the title above and you figure, “Ron must really be out of it!” But no, I haven’t dipped into the cold medicine. After the previous column about passwords, I fielded several questions about coming up with letter/symbol substitutions.
If you look closely at the above title you will see it translates into, “Passwords Once Again.”
Not buying it?
Check it carefully and see. Notice the substitution of backward and forward slashes for the letter “w.” This camouflage technique is used again for the letter “n.”
This is a language known in the geek world. It was created in the 1980s, at the beginning of the Internet, when the old bulletin board systems were going strong. It is suggested they started using this “Leet Speak” to hide folders and files, to keep the “normal” people out of their systems.
“Leet” comes from the thinking that this was the new “elite” in the world, so they invented their own alphabet substituting characters, numbers and symbols for letters. The word “Leet” can be written as “1337,” “L337,” “l33t” or any combination that works for you. It is not impossible to decipher once you read a few lines of Leet Speak; however, if you create passwords using Leet, it can make it much harder to break.
I have a theory, too, that, at that time, geeks were high school boys failing English grammar. Leet, and many other things they started, defied the educational establishment. Sort of like, “I don’t get your stuff, now you can’t understand mine, so there!” If you were one of them, what do you think?
If you want to create some “Leet Speak,” there are websites where you can easily create or translate your own.
Let me leave you with one last thought today about passwords. I had a few emails this week asking where to save passwords, since under the keyboard is out.
One place is “Last Pass.” (lastpass.com) I do not recommend it, since it stores your information in “the cloud.” I have an uneasy feeling letting a stranger keep all of my “secret” information. If you don’t share my discomfort, it’s the app for you.
I am a huge fan of “KeePass” (keepass.info). KeePass is a standalone program which you install on your computer. With Keepass, your data is stored locally on your system. This is the app I opt for.
It works on most devices, as well as on Windows, Mac and Linux machines. Then, if you look, you can find “Unofficial KeePass” apps for all of the smart phones, blackberry phones, etc.
If you look closely at the above title you will see it translates into, “Passwords Once Again.”
Not buying it?
Check it carefully and see. Notice the substitution of backward and forward slashes for the letter “w.” This camouflage technique is used again for the letter “n.”
This is a language known in the geek world. It was created in the 1980s, at the beginning of the Internet, when the old bulletin board systems were going strong. It is suggested they started using this “Leet Speak” to hide folders and files, to keep the “normal” people out of their systems.
“Leet” comes from the thinking that this was the new “elite” in the world, so they invented their own alphabet substituting characters, numbers and symbols for letters. The word “Leet” can be written as “1337,” “L337,” “l33t” or any combination that works for you. It is not impossible to decipher once you read a few lines of Leet Speak; however, if you create passwords using Leet, it can make it much harder to break.
I have a theory, too, that, at that time, geeks were high school boys failing English grammar. Leet, and many other things they started, defied the educational establishment. Sort of like, “I don’t get your stuff, now you can’t understand mine, so there!” If you were one of them, what do you think?
If you want to create some “Leet Speak,” there are websites where you can easily create or translate your own.
Let me leave you with one last thought today about passwords. I had a few emails this week asking where to save passwords, since under the keyboard is out.
One place is “Last Pass.” (lastpass.com) I do not recommend it, since it stores your information in “the cloud.” I have an uneasy feeling letting a stranger keep all of my “secret” information. If you don’t share my discomfort, it’s the app for you.
I am a huge fan of “KeePass” (keepass.info). KeePass is a standalone program which you install on your computer. With Keepass, your data is stored locally on your system. This is the app I opt for.
It works on most devices, as well as on Windows, Mac and Linux machines. Then, if you look, you can find “Unofficial KeePass” apps for all of the smart phones, blackberry phones, etc.
Contact Ron Doyle at ron@doubleclicks.info