Of course, it is also always helpful to have friends on the inside of a company who can tell you a bit about the person who conjured up a password giving access to high-level files. The trash can has been known to help. There is more information in trash cans. Most officials in charge of security at firms say they are faced with a paradox. Companies want systems that are both secure and easily accessible to employees.
People have trouble remembering their passwords.
And if you make it too complicated, they will write it down somewhere nearby for help, or it may just take too long to get in the system. Even if companies work at developing intricate passwords, one leak can doom the integrity of the system. Commercial bulletin boards, operated by firms like Dow Jones and CompuServe, charge a fee for their use. But there are thousands of private bulletin boards operated by a hobbyist for a particular community, for example, users of a particular brand of computer. They are traded like baseball cards.