Do you convert your PIN numbers to T9 text words?

Posted by b1rdwatch3r@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 54 comments

I need a 6 digit pin to log into my work PC. Rather than picking 6 digits like an important date, I choose a 6 letter word and then use the corresponding digits. Sharks = 742757. It's easier for me to remember when I anchor it to a word.

Am I alone in this line of thinking? 🤔

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no_clever_name_yet@reddit

No. I got my pin before T9. So mine does NOT form a word.

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DamarsLastKanar@reddit

8675309

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Hippy_Lynne@reddit

They were actually playing that song in Walmart last week. They just upgraded that Walmart, it seems like they have a new music service. It's like the opposite of casinos, it's curated to make you want to get out of there as fast as possible. I feel so sorry for the employees.

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Throwaway_inSC_79@reddit

Strange that a glass of kanar would reference an old Earth song.

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DamarsLastKanar@reddit

My Cardassia is gone. We'll need women like Jenny if we're to move forward.

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Throwaway_inSC_79@reddit

You heard him! FOR CARDASSIA!!

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867-53-oh-nein@reddit

Great pin.

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Hippy_Lynne@reddit

No, I just used my old pager codes. 🤣

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Vash_85@reddit

You're lucky...

I need a 14+ character "phrase" that contains at least one uppercase letter, two spaces, one number and one symbol to log into my work computer... And then it also has to be linked to an authenticator app with a passkey... Fucking IT department 🤦‍♂️

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valdus@reddit

I love my 4 dogs.

I hate my 2 ex-wives

1965 Corvette pls!

Kodos for president 2027.

Pretty easy to make easy to remember phrases that meet those requirements.

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Financial-Yak-4172@reddit

My company is currently at 12 characters for our PC login. But we have many different systems to access and some require their own password. I absolutely write that shit down.

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Vash_85@reddit

I took a two week vacation over the summer, right after they implemented the new password requirement, came back to work and couldn't remember what I did for the password. I knew the phrase, but not the rest. Spent way too long going through all the combinations lol

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jthagler@reddit

Of course. I just assumed everyone does that.

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all-the-ham@reddit

BOSCO

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laziestmarxist@reddit

No but I still use l33t speak to make passwords

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cacecil1@reddit

Yup

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Regular_Jim081@reddit

Nice try Nigerian prince, nice try.

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odin_the_wiggler@reddit

I miss T9 because I could text without looking. 💔

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PandaBearLovesBamboo@reddit

Bosco

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S_A_R_K@reddit

N O P E

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PsionicKitten@reddit

This is a better method than the dates. Many people use dates and thus those are brute forced first, making them much less secure. Specifically picking something that can't be interpreted as a date makes it more secure.

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crazycatlady331@reddit

The number I use could be interpreted as a date (it was a date that wasn't memorable to me) but it's not.

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PsionicKitten@reddit

That in itself makes it more vulnerable, but being one that it is merely interpret-able as a date as opposed to one that one who had that date could guess is better than not.

It's best to make PINs that explicitly can't be interpreted as a date if you want maximum security, as data shows most people use dates.

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crazycatlady331@reddit

This isn't my ATM pin, it's for me to unlock my laptop. My laptop is VERY rarely in a situation where someone would have access to it.

My ATM pin cannot be interpreted as a date.

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PsionicKitten@reddit

Depending on the OS and enabled security features, your laptop one may not even matter. For example Local Accounts Windows 10 and earlier (probably windows 11 too, but I haven't checked to see if they changed it) can be removed in an inconsequential amount of time.

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pregnantandsober@reddit

My PIN was 0731 for several years. Then my son was born on July 31, so I had to change my PIN.

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Joker-Smurf@reddit

Shit. Just realised, I don’t remember my PIN.

I can remember one of them (for one card) but not the other.

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BrooklynRobot@reddit

Amazing how many folks have fallen for this social engineering post. What are we Boomers?

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b1rdwatch3r@reddit (OP)

That's funny. I didn't think of that. Like I didn't give away my actual pin...

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New_Stats@reddit

I just use old phone numbers that I memorized

Like the last 4 digits of Scott's old house phone# is my debit pin

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sarabridge78@reddit

Me too! Stephanie M's number is what I use.

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the_silent_one1984@reddit

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Eric848448@reddit

It’s me, Jacopo!

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crazycatlady331@reddit

I'm a campaign consultant by trade. My PIN for my laptop is the first 3 districts (the district numbers) that I worked in.

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IndomitableAnyBeth@reddit

Absolutely. I was very disappointed that my dorm room landline, dialable in 4 digits within the system had a 1 in it!

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PL02550@reddit

PIN number? Person Identification Number... Number? /s

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Spartan04@reddit

You have to use your PIN number at the ATM machine, lol.

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rulenumber62@reddit

This guy gets it

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rulenumber62@reddit

That T9 Blackberry is/was my favorite phone ever (believe it was called the Pearl)

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slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit

Ever since 2004 when I had to get a new bank account after I enlisted. MEPS kept my direct deposit slip and my wife needed to be able to access my pay to pay rent while I was in basic training.

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Spartan04@reddit

Very few things I log in to allow simple numeric pins anymore. With how password policies have gotten I pretty much rely on a password manager and randomly generated passwords. Also means if one password gets breached I only have to change that one since there’s no reuse.

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Lululemonparty_@reddit

It's bosco

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PokerbushPA@reddit

Nice try, Apu.

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InvestmentMain8414@reddit

I do for my work stuff.

All passwords are PIN's, and have to be changed every 6 weeks, and no, they can not have the same PIN at the same time, so I cycle through about 8 PIN's. All words in T9 format. It's the only way I can remember what is what with the constant changes....and not that anyone asked, but I think our IT is insane. We are a construction company, not the government. No need to change PIN's that often.

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