The Church has a robust Information Technology (IT) department, quite unlike the one depicted in the Netflix show “The IT Crowd” (highly recommended). Gone are all the paper forms I used to fill out as Bishop, such as missionary applications, BYU ecclesiastical endorsements, Report of Disciplinary Council, Request for sealing cancellation, etc. These and all the rest are now online.
There has yet to be a data breach where the information was shared online. Everything from new bishop recommendations to the above mentioned Report of Disciplinary Council (probably has a different name now) would have very personal information, that could be very embarrassing to not only the individual, but to the local leaders, and the Church as an institution if it was hacked.
Yet, everybody from a Bishop to the Q15 has access to this restricted personal information by means of a password! And even more so for the Q15, who with the click of a computer key can approve a sealing cancellation, deny a request for re-baptism, or approve a Mission President/Bishop Stake President calling.
I have wondered what the Q15 use for their passwords. They must have one for all their church work, that allows them to log onto their computer from anywhere in the world. Do you think they have a real computer generated random password like we are told to use, like b%fdu73*$2? And if they did have one like that, they would then have to write it down (a big no no!), maybe on the back of their Temple Recommend?
What if they use two factor authentication, which is something you have (a physical object) and something you know. Maybe they use their bar coded Temple recommend to slide into a reader on their computer, and then enter another password?
What if they got to come up with their own passwords? What are your guesses? Here are mine
Pres Nelson: tHe#1Holyone$
Pres Oaks: tHE*enforcer#2
Pres Eyring: 2nDAn0inTED
Elder Bednar: D0ntsTandB4ME
Elder Uchtdorf: IMgODsCOpILOT
Elder Holland: nOtaD0D0RU?
Bro Jergensen (Church Auditing Department): n0thing2cHere
What kind of login security do you think they have? Passwords, or a maybe a password token (in all white of course) that generates a one-time code? Your thoughts?
Wheat & Tares 
I wouldn’t be surprised if they all used USB thumbprint readers. Take it anywhere, secure.
I thought this post was going to be about temple ceremonies and the tokens and signs we learn there.
A friend who worked for the church – and this was 15 years ago – told me that the church takes information security very seriously. Hopefully that attitude and priority is still there.
If they are anything like my parents or in-laws, they are probably having to reset their passwords constantly, despite having them written down on a sticky note attached to their desk. That, and calling their adult children at least once a week to talk them through the simplest of computer problems.
Yea….like the church takes the safety of children very seriously, and still wont perform basic background checks.
Bishop Bill, I think you meant EVENtHe#1Holyone$ for Nelson. 🙂
Probably a CAC.
Coves, I have a CAC, that gets me in the gate, and then inserts in my computer, and along with a PIN number opens my computer.
I’m guessing you were mighty bored when you cooked this up Bishop Bill. It’s so fantastically boring that it’s actually kind of interesting.
I’m guessing you were mighty bored when you cooked this up Bishop Bill. It’s so fantastically boring that it’s actually kind of interesting.
I do remember a few years ago seeing that the hacker group “anonymous” posted that they were going to attack the church’s computer. I was thinking, “Oh my! When Anonymous has you in their sights, it can get bad.” But it turns out I forgot it was April Fools day – it was a spoof.
If I can wax pedantic for a moment, taking a password and an unchanging bar code isn’t 2-factor authentication. It is more of a 2 part password, but if someone intercepts it, it might as well be a single password.
I have heard that they do take their security somewhat seriously, but I do see areas that indicates less than the best security – such as computers in clerk’s offices on REALLY old versions of the Windows Operating System.
It’s kind of funny that a GA / Q12 member would need to log in with a password. Is someone in the Church office building going to sneak on to their computer? That’s like stealing a Book of Mormon from a missionary’s unlocked car. But hey, we have locks on temple lockers so there’s that
Finally, an institution that takes IT security seriously.
Ballard – c@rs@ndb0@ts
Cook – Br!stol1940
Josh h, I’m thinking about them at home with their laptop, or in Europe on a visit (pre-pandemic). When the Whole Q15 was in Rome for the Temple dedication, I’m sure the work did not stop. They all had their laptops or iPads, and would need some sort of security to use the internet.
Elder Oaks alternate password: WedoNOTapolog!ze
Bishop Bill – you publish this and the following week I get the following email from the church:
Secure Your Church Account with Two-Step Verification
This additional security feature helps prevent anyone from accessing your account even if they know your password. Get started at account.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.