Kingsley-Hughes.Com | Passwords and Internet Cafes

Security

Also see the articles Choosing Good Passwords, Double Entry Passwords and the Password Maker

HPasswords and Internet Cafes

How do you securely enter in a password in an internet cafe without the risk of keyloggers grabbing it? Here are a few techniques to defeat systems designed to grab your password.

Note: Keyloggers are small programs that are designed to capture what you type on the keyboard and store it in a file. Think that an internet cafe wouldn't do that? Think again!

One effective technique is to have a file that contains alphanumeric characters in it - you can type them out in Notepad or carry a small file with you with them in (or you could have them on a web page that you can visit - like this one!).

(

)

Now you can just drag the appropriate character from the file into the password box. That easy. If you are worried about screen capture technology then you can jumble up the order and drag in the characters out of order.

Note: If you are really worried about entering you password on a computer not within you control, then remember the golden rule of PC ownership:

If in doubt - Don't!

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
Last updated: Feb 21st 2005
Print This Page | Email me when this page changes | Search This Site