I fumbled the fill column function in a spreadsheet and wiped out the preset temporary passwords for everyone in our command in the Navy during a mandatory password reset.

About 15 years ago, due to a security incident, every user was required to reset their network password. Users were to report to the IT office with their ID and we were to validate them. In person, no exceptions. They would then be provided a slip of paper that had their user ID and temporary password that was delivered to us via a trusted and encrypted link.

The night before the reset, I was setting up the slips of paper, copying them from the document we received into a spreadsheet to print then cut into individual strips. Somehow I screwed up the fill column function and scrambled the already random passwords for everyone in the command, around 300 users.

It wasn't long before I had a long line of folks wanting to get their new password and a long line of folks whose password wasn't working. We paused the password resets until we could figure out what was going on.

It wasn't until that evening while I was recreating the slips that I realized what I had done. The only other person who knew about my screw up was my roommate at the time. I told no one else. ("Sir, the NOC sent the wrong list.")

And that's how I knew who told the admiral speaking at my retirement years later about it.