The Perfect Pin Password! How to not be predictable!

Predictability is the Key!

It isn’t like we have a lot of imagination, I was looking around and saw this blog post post about PIN number analysis.   Let’s just say after I read this, I got chills and it went down my back.   No one person can come up with a easy to remember PIN number and it be safe.   So the problem with this and other passwords are that people tend to make them easy.  This is where the problem lies, if it was easy to come up with a PIN number that is can be predictable then someone else can figure out the pin quite easily.

What throw out and what to keep!

Here are a few things that I saw on the analysis that you should be throw out for sure:

• Birth dates and years — This seems to be a very popular way to go to remember a pin number.   People are either using their year they are born or their month and date they are born to make a pin number for banks an other institutions.  Just throw those out the door.  If I could think of them so could a hacker who wants to get your money!
• Don’t just go down PIN #2580 — Here’s another that seems be a common ploy, looking at your phone and just going straight down.   Which seems to indicate no imagination on the part of  people making the pin.
• Don’t Use only one or two numbers like 1212, 6969, 2000, 1122 — It isn’t hard to figure out what numbers you use will make it easier to remember but it will always make it easier for the the hacker or the bank thief to get your money.
• Don’t try to be cleaver — Something like 42069 is one that is spoken really well on the analysis and thus it comes as a interesting pin.   He didn’t know why but I suspect I know why, and here it is.   420 is common for elight speak for smoking illegal sustances and we know what 69 is.  So you tried to be cleaver but I figure it out and I am sure someone else could easily.

Picking a Good Pin!

Now since we talk about the analysis of the pin numbers, a little and I do hope you checked out the Analysis.   I thought it would be a good idea to at try to guide you into coming up with a less predicable PIN and thus making it that much harder for a Hacker and would be bank thief to get access.   Here I will describe what you might want to do to make it almost unpredictable and still make it remember able. 

• Use the Random Number Generator — Come up with Four numbers you may want to use and use them as your PIN.   (Remember the rules, No repeating numbers, and nothing guessable.)
• After you find a PIN — try to come up with a four letter word that will allow you to remember the number.   You might also go backwards such as starting at the end and create a word for it using your phone.

Use your phone keypad to basically associate the pin with a letter so you can remember it or if you can come up with other ways that will help you in the long run.   You shouln’t write it down but if you do have to, I suggest using something like Lastpass password database and keeping it secure for your eyes only.

This is one way to do it but I am sure someone somewhere has a much better way but at least this way you have control of who or what will know your password.   You want to keep your money safe, and yes I am sure hackers are going to try to use this to figure out your new PIN but it is much harder for them to know which number you picked and when you did it.   So the ball is in your court and not theirs.  Hope this helps!

Why using the Reverse Pin number won't work!

Seems to circulating around!

I got this email about this and wanted to clarify something about this and I wasn’t sure if this was a hoax or not.    Wikipedia is not helping this myth if it is but I will talk about the reasons why it won’t work and explain to you in detail the reasons!

Privacy!

In the Privacy Act of 1974, No business or organization can release personal information about you without your direct consent or without a court order.   Although this isn’t strictly followed by all Online business or organization.   In order for ANY ATM To disclose your location of the ATM you are at or even your financial information would be against the Privacy Act!

Terms of Service would be need to updated!

All banks would have to change their TOS just to cover their butts in case something would go wrong.  You would see bank after bank making sure you knew about the changes in their services when it comes to ATMS!  This would be one of the requirements to be able to do this!   

The Algorithm!

Let’s face it if this software was available, it would be a screaming security nitemare!  Every bank uses their own Algorithm and HASH in association with each account.   In order for an ATM to give out money from any institution it would be required to provide the currect security code which would be the PIN code.   So the bank would have to create both front door passcode(PIN NUMBER) and a back door passcord(Reverse pin number) to access your personal information and also what money you have on your account.   This two PIN approach would make your account much easier to hack and or guess your pin, if implemented!  Since the ATM would not know which pin is correct until it connected with the bank server, it would not know if the pin entered is correct or reversed until the bank granted access and thus it would be impossible to implement this!!

Safety and Such!

It would just cause more problems than it is worth.   Just think if you had to put in your pin in reverse wouldn’t it be more trouble and possibly cause more violence than it would solve.   I know I have ADHD and I wouldn’t be able to do it very easily.   If the robber wants the money he will get impatient and maybe even hurt the victim even more.   This is why it will never be implemented because in the long run.   It doesn’t stop violence or death it just is more inconvenience than anything.   Think about how long it would be before the police actually got to that ATM.  On average it takes 20 mins just where I live and I know the robber won’t stay their very long if at all!  Once he gets what he wants, your either dead or very lucky!   Just some stuff to think about!

Paul Sylvester