BBC Radio 4 2016-01-23

BBC Radio 4 2016-01-23

Good morning

How many passwords do you have? And do you remember them at all, or like me, find that not only have you forgotten one of your many passwords but you can’t even answer the question which would help you reset it?

Passwords are synonymous with our online lives in a digital age. Intrinsically they are about our security which is why I “laughed out loud” [in digital speak] when I read this week how totally ridiculous the top twenty passwords of last year were. I mean, 123456…. Really!, or the word password as your password….. or, yes wait for it – the first five letter keys on your keyboard, you know q w e r t y.

Whilst the New York Times tamely acknowledged that “we are awful at passwords” the websiteTechnoBuffalo was more forthright: “every time it’s hard to believe the bone-headed passwords people continue to use”.

Cryptography – which means “secret writing” dates back to ancient civilisations where codes have always been used and there’s been huge fascination again in recent times with the likes of Bletchley and Enigma.

But passwords and personal online security takes in our emails, bank accounts and so much highly personal data. And whist there are now Apps in which you can lock you passwords, as in a virtual vault, the vast majority of us probably need to look again at why keeping ourselves safe online is such a low priority before terrible things happen.

Theologians are increasingly interested in what happens to the human person and spirit when people go online. A series of short essays from a range of disciplines edited by John Brockman covers areas as the wide as the loss of tranquillity and rise of anxiety, the corruption of power, instant gratification and what it means to belong to an internet community.

But the critical issue of online vulnerability… of young people being bullied or pursued online for instance or former partners seeking revenge – all of this has huge, and potentially devastating effects on many lives, young and old.

Despite all the great things about an online existence, our passwords are just the start of a safe and secure life online. And don’t ever be fooled.

One of St Peter’s most famous verses opens the wonderful office of Compline which many Christians use to end the day. So I’ve adapted it for early morning use for Today listeners in a digital age: “Be sober: be watchful: your adversary the hacker prowleth around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour with a very daft password. Resist him. And choose a sensible one.”