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PC utilities: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords
- 2/27/09 4:58 PM
Manage your passwords
by mortpasco - 2/27/09 8:17 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have been using Roboform Pro (www.roboform.com) for several years. It is easy, intuitive and more importantly, it works as advertised. I also use Password Pro 32 to store passwords, access keys, software activation keys, etc. Both are password protected so you only have to remember ONE password.
That means you can memorize ONE STRONG password to access the others. Down side is if you forget that strong password, you have no more chance of recovering the others than you would have breaking into your bank vault.
Re: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords
by dechah - 2/27/09 8:19 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi there. There was an excellent article today on Hacker News http://weblog.masukomi.org/2009/02/26/why-your-tiered-password-scheme-is-flawed-and-what-to-do-about-it about a free service called Passpack http://www.passpack.com/en/home/
There is a video tour of the service here: http://www.passpack.com/en/tour/
It looks pretty good, and it is free.
Turbo Password or something like that!
by billfoster424 - 2/27/09 8:19 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I too have the age problem and a good dose of CRAFT disease! To solve the password problem plus all that other stuff like social security numbers for the wife and kids, insurance policy numbers, credit card numbers (if I loose the cards or they get stolen) and all that other STUFF I used to keep in my head. My phone is a Palm Treo smart phnow and a company Chapura if I can say that, mkes a program with no "back doors" where I keep all the info under just one password. It syncs between my Pam and desktop and both are secure with no hacks possible to break into the data. A great solution.
Roboform
by birdboy - 2/27/09 8:22 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use Roboform exclusively to track passwords. I keep passwords for several other people this way. This program can be password protected itself and this is the only one you have to remember. It also has a password generator so you don't have to come up with the format for different sites. It can also keep much more info for you. One nice feature is that when you click on a login it opens the browser and takes you directly to the site and logs you in automatically.
Managing passwords
by abbyeh - 2/27/09 8:24 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
One way: if you can remember your email password, you could send yourself an email with each login and password. If you think that it is possible that others might happen to get into your system, I would suggest filing these in something unappealing like "taxes", irs (as opposed to reference. Use the next one if you are into spy games.
Another way: a friend uses a favorite short word which now becomes the standard password. If more spaces are needed to fill out requirements, they will add 2 numbers which is now known as *. So, on their computer (hidden in a document) is a list of logins followed by standard, standard* or standard** as needed.
Remembering passwords
by herming - 2/27/09 8:25 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First identify all those sites that have no financial obligations, many don't even want your real name, address or other identifying information. Examples include forums, clubs maybe a hobby site.
Use the same password for all of these, something very easy to remember, for example maybe the name and year of birth of a child Mary1984 or John's1971 if they want a punctuation character. Other examples are cars and models, employers and starting dates, vacations and dates etc. Dates and names meet most criteria for passwords letters and numbers upper and lower case. Even if someone guesses your password no real damage can be done at these kind of sites.
For financial sites a more complex password makes sense. In my opinion it doesn't need to be a random sequence, still use a word (perhaps longer) and a meaningful number or better sets of numbers before and after, if you can't remember a password and need to write it down it sort of defeats the basic purpose of security anyway.
Managing passwords
by bobmann101 - 2/27/09 8:27 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You really do not need a different password for every account. I use the same password for 95% of my online counts. It sounds like you have very many accounts. I am sure you can reduce them to a more manageable size. I also change them about every 6 months. One way I save info is saving it to word, attaching it to an email then mailing it to myself. If other people use your computer then set it up so each user has to log on with their info when they turn it on. W hen you are eadyto leave your computerand are not going to turn it off then go to the task manager (ctrl,alt,del) go to shut down and log off your name. Hope this help. ~(:>D)
I have used this for over 5 years!
by Spastic Newman - 2/27/09 8:33 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use AIRoboform. I have used it for over 5 years and have never had a problem. I first used the free version because I didn't have more then 10 passwords. Now I have over a hundred passwords and so I use the pro version. It is really a great program. I give it nothing but rave reviews. It has a password generator so you dont have to think of a password (just enter the number of characters and the type of characters you are to use and it will create one for you). For security I went a step further and placed all my passwords on a SD memory card. I have it on that so when I take my laptop on a trip I can take my card out of my desktop and place it in my laptop and all my passwords are there. Roboform also encrypts your passwords so you have to enter one password to get to your password bank. All of your passwords will use that one access password. Enter it one time and it is good for as long as you set the program to keep you logged in. I hope this really helps you. Try it out on the free version with 10 passwords or less. The website is www.airoboform.com.
Swimming in a Sea of Passwords
by gunsablazin - 2/27/09 8:34 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
While this may sound simplistic, simpler is often better. Type your emails, passwords, and user names in a document. Give that document a bland, uninteresting name that has meaning only to you. Save the doc in place where it would not be easily found by anyone who went snooping about your folders.
Example Path: My Documents/Home Improvement/Painting/Room Color Samples/etcetera......
This is what I do, and when I need a password, I open up that Microsoft Word file, do a CRT +F , and find the info I need quickly. It works for me.
Yes, all your passwords are in one place. So what? If you go to such lengths that your information is made so secure that only a Mission Impossible team could penetrate, you have not really solved your dilemma.
Best wishes
Passwords
by Juniebug - 2/27/09 8:35 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a small program called Freepass where all my sites for anything and everything are listed with user names and passwords. When not in use it shows on my taskbar bottom left. It has been invaluable to me. Of course what do you need to open the program but a "password" but you really only have to remember that one.It was free and not sure now where you could find it, you may have to search for freepass.exe
Good luck! You will love it if you find it, it's small in size and very easy to use. Recently I thought my bank was compromised but if anyone got into my pC they would have to know my password to open that, so basically it is protected. Hope this helps some, am sure you could find something similar if not this one.Norma
Password Generator
by templau - 2/27/09 8:36 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Password Generator XP is a neat and free little program available at www.securesafepro.com. With it you can generate random passwords based on parameters you set (length, types of characters, and so forth. As far as remembering them, RoboForm is the traditional answer, though it costs a few dollars. A free alternative is Keepass. It has the added advantage that there is no installation. That means the presence of it isn't obvious to someone who accesses your PC. Of course, these programs have their own passwords which you do have to remember...
notepad file
by pharmboy55 - 2/27/09 8:37 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I use a notepad file with the name of the site, username, password, and any password-reminder answers. To prevent anyone who uses my computer from accessing the file I have it password protected with Axcrypt. Now I only have to remember the password for the file....
Remembering Passwords and User IDs ....
by Watzman - 2/27/09 8:38 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This works better if you use a "real" E-Mail client (Outlook, Outlook Express, etc.) than if you use "web mail", but here is what I do, it's farily simple and it works.
I create a "folder" in my E-Mail client called "Membership Info". In that folder, I put the E-Mail that I invariably receive when I "join" or open an account on a site. I make sure that in that E-Mail I have the UserID and the password (if necessary I edit the message to add them). I also make sure that both the title and the text of that E-Mail have every possible combination of any string that I might use when searching for that site, again, adding that if necessary (so the message for CitiBank has Citi, Citi Bank, CitiBank, Githerner's Bank, etc. (just kidding on that last one)). Then, when I can't remember the userid or password, I open that folder and I search it, finding the message, and this works for me (again, it works better with a "real" E-Mail client like Outlook than with web mail). By the way .... my folder has over 300 messages in it.
password management
by jdgove - 2/27/09 8:40 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Try Password Corral (v4.0.3) for managing your myriad of passwords and sensitive information. It offers a single username/password for encrypted access to store all of your usernames, passwords, URLs, etc. It is a freeware program available for download. It is a lightweight app that can store its data file on your local pc or a shared drive on your network. I've used it for years and love it.
Password management
by jmj947 - 2/27/09 8:46 PM In reply to: Help! I'm at my wits end trying to manage my passwords by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
A number of years ago, I purchased RoboForm (http://www.roboform.com/) and it has turned out to be one of the very best investments I ever made. For $30, you can use any username and any password you want, a different one for each and every site you visit. They will be stored on your machine and associate themselves with whichever site(s)you wish. Each time you visit that site, all you need do is click on the RoboForm toolbar that appears on IE or whatever browser you use and the info is automatically entered into the site's username/password space.
RoboForm also has a free download, but you're limited as to the number of "passcards" you can create. For $30, you have an unlimited number of passcards you can create. If there's an easier way to create and remember distinct usernames and passwords, I haven't heard of it.
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