>How much ripping would HN impose on one of these institutions if they attempted a 100% best practices secure password upgrade and then subsequently had a complete IT disaster unfold (I can certainly link articles).
Not specifically related to password security upgrade, but it illustrates the impact of a bank's IT systems going down. Being able to run a credit card transaction and receive your paycheck is fundamental to the fabric of our society. When these processes are disrupted, people get very anxious and things start to fall apart rapidly. When is the last time you insert your card into the reader and thought "I sure hope this works"?
I'm definitely interested in examples of this