Passphrase

Starfleet has a deserved paranoia regarding the security of its systems and this extends to smart phones that provide access to Starfleet's mail system. This paranoia expresses itself by insisting on an 8 (or more) character passphrase to unlock said phone before it can be used. This renders a very useful device about as irritating as shutting your fingers in the car door.

Today, an alarm went off. The Gorse Fox had a scheduled call in 5 minutes. He gracefully finished what he was doing and grabbed the phone. He entered the passphrase (mistyping it the first time). The phone stared at him blankly then popped up the message that it was time to change his passphrase. There had been no previous warning - but it had to be done NOW.

Despite having just entered his old passphrase, he was asked to enter it again. Then he had to set a new passphrase - the first attempt at which broke some rule or other and another had to be selected. That had to be repeated to make sure GF really meant it. By this time, the phone was in  danger of becoming a projectile. The passphrase was accepted and the phone presented itself, finally, as a usable device on which the Gorse Fox could have his teleconference with Jean-Luc Picard.

GF will not be upset when he can strip all this Starfleet security from the phone and he can return to the standard security measures.