Here’s what the headlines say:

• PASSWORDS, SECURITY PROTOCOLS COST MORE THAN THEY SAVE, SAYS MICROSOFT RESEARCHER

ZDNet (blog)

• MICROSOFT: CHANGING PASSWORDS ISN’T WORTH THE EFFORT

PC Magazine

So based on these headlines…

…should we all just stop worrying about passwords?

Absolutely not!

In fact, the research being cited in these headlines is IMPORTANT, but MISUNDERSTOOD…

…so here’s what you need to know:

• “PASSWORDS, SECURITY PROTOCOLS COST MORE THAN THEY SAVE, SAYS MICROSOFT RESEARCHER”

In a nutshell, here’s the main point of this research from Microsoft:

If you add up the value of all the time all of us spend trying to create strong passwords and then trying to remember those passwords when we need them…

…the value of that time messing with passwords and other security policies is far, far greater than the value of time and data lost when our passwords and computers are hacked.

But does this mean we don’t need to worry about passwords?

No.

What it really means is that before you can know how much time and effort you should devote to protecting your computer…

…you first have to know the value of the stuff ON your computer.

In other words:

If there’s nothing valuable on your computer…

…why spend much time or effort or money worrying about protecting it?

But if the info on your computer is VERY VERY VALUABLE…

…you better do everything you can to protect it.

• “MICROSOFT: CHANGING PASSWORDS ISN’T WORTH THE EFFORT”

The Microsoft researcher who did this research…

…says that changing your password all the time it’s probably a waste of time.

Why?

Well, because if someone steals your password…

…they’re probably going to use it IMMEDIATELY, not wait a month or two, after you’ve changed the password.

Meanwhile it’s also worth considering:

Every time you change your password…

…that takes time, and it takes time for you remember all your new passwords, too.

And that time is expensive.

So in the long run, changing passwords is probably a waste of TIME, and EFFORT, and MONEY.

MEANWHILE, DON’T BE MISLEAD BY THE HEADLINES ABOUT THIS RESEARCH:

• Even though this research suggests that it may be a waste of time to keep changing your passwords…

…that doesn’t mean that having good passwords is a waste of time.

One benefit of thinking about having good passwords…

…is that it will keep you more alert to things on your computer that might seem “fishy.”

And spotting something “fishy” early on…

…is one of the best ways to nip a security or hacker problem in the bud.

• There are very effective and very powerful tools available that can help you manage your passwords.

I use a product called RoboForm…

…and it helps generate “strong” passwords, and then helps you remember them.

You can find RoboForm at www.RoboForm.com…

…and there is both a free version, and also a Pro version for $30.

But there are other products out there, too, like this…

…just use the Web to check any program out first and make sure it’s legit.

And if you want to see this full report from Microsoft, just click here:

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