Recurring Thread: Usability

Usability and security sometimes seem at odds: each new security measure seems to add yet another inconvenient hurdle for legitimate users. If you make access too difficult for users, instead of cooperating they may seek ways to circumvent security, which contradicts your entire goal. Thus we try to balance usability and security.

Password Guidelines

For example, the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale web site lists “minimum” security guidelines for passwords: