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Figure that each English character has 1.8 bits of entropy. (This is a conservative number, because it doesn't take into account case, spacing, or punctuation.) If I want a passphrase that will map into a 64-bit keyspace, I need at least a 35-chararcter phrase. Don't forget the difficulty of typing such a long phrase, with echoing turned off.
steve bellovin writes: >bruce schneier writes: > Figure that each English character has 1.8 bits of entropy. > (This is a conservative number, because it doesn't take into > account case, spacing, or punctuation.) If I want a > passphrase that will map into a 64-bit keyspace, I need at > least a 35-chararcter phrase. > Don't forget the difficulty of typing such a long phrase, with > echoing turned off. but it's not that difficult. at least, I don't have any difficulty with it. perhaps I really am superhuman, but somehow I doubt it. josh
> Don't forget the difficulty of typing such a long phrase, with > echoing turned off. Steve, did you learn anything interesting from your experiment several months ago in which you were testing the ability of folk to type long passwords? I remember being surprised at how short your test passwords were, given the nature of the experiment. (I have no difficulty typing 50-character pass phrases with echoing turned off.) --apb (Alan Barrett)
C'punks, There has been some discussion about typing long passphrases with echo off. I don't have any trouble, but I'm a touch typist. Perhaps it is only the hunt-and-peck, two-finger typists who are have a problem. S a n d y Typing--one of the three most useful courses I took in high school.
> There has been some discussion about typing long passphrases with echo > off. I don't have any trouble, but I'm a touch typist. Perhaps it is > only the hunt-and-peck, two-finger typists who are have a problem. I'm not a touch typist (although I am also not quite a hunt-and-peck typist, either). And using only about 6 fingers (well, I am counting both thumbs in this count, and sometimes I use my other fingers as well) I have no problems typing in my long (40-50 char) pass phrase! However, I am a computer geek (well, I prefer to be known as a nerd, but I have Nerd Pride, so... ;-) Anyways, I have a feeling that Steve's testing was done with non-computer-geek-type people. I.e., secretaries, managers, and high-up muckety-mucks. Is this true, Steve? What was your sample space in your research? -derek
On Sun, 3 Jul 1994, Sandy Sandfort wrote: > C'punks, > > There has been some discussion about typing long passphrases with echo > off. I don't have any trouble, but I'm a touch typist. Perhaps it is > only the hunt-and-peck, two-finger typists who are have a problem. > > > S a n d y > > Typing--one of the three most useful courses I took in high school. > > I am also a touch typist and have not problems typing long passphrases with echo off. I was also wondering about this discussion. I can type a long passphrase with little trouble. Jim Riggs