Are you like I was… too many passwords for too many things, and seemingly no way to possibly remember them all?
About 6 months ago, while attending a seminar, someone turned me on to a great way to not only remember every single password I had… but also, an even better way to take my passwords with me everywhere I go and not store them on ANY computer. Not my own… not any I use someplace else. And all I have to remember now is ONE password.
If this sounds like you (Too Many Passwords – and can never seem to remember them all)… then read on….
Many people know they should create good passwords, but they don’t really know what a good password is. Even worse, good passwords are usually hard to remember, which makes it less likely people will use them.
First though, what’s a bad password? A bad password is something that is easy for a thief to guess. Your pet’s name, your birthday or anniversary, or your children’s names are all examples of bad passwords.
Conversely, a good password is hard to guess. What are examples of good passwords? TRge34egT97 and 302t8R!9G}54 are examples of good passwords.
Totally random passwords are best. You can get a random set of characters to use in a password here:
https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm
The problem, of course, is that there is no way to remember a random set of characters.
My VERY STRONG SUGGESTION is that you use a program like RoboForm to keep track of your passwords.
http://www.roboform.com/?affid=heinc
Before you go downloading RoboForm, (yes, you can download it for free), my suggestion is, go to your local office supply or computer store and purchase yourself a 1 GB Flash Drive. You know.. the small little drive that you can even attach to your keychain if you want to. Then, download RoboForm to the little Flash Drive. This is a USB drive that you can then take with you where ever you go, and you ALWAYS have all of your passwords right there on the drive.
No more writing down passwords on a piece of paper (oh yeah, that’s REAL secure!) and no more having a list of passwords stored on your computer someplace (even worse!)
I have literally HUNDREDS of passwords for various different things. A different password and user name for every website, every blog, every bank account, every site that asks me to register… I may even be approaching a THOUSAND different passwords now. But I only have to remember ONE. I am a VERY HAPPY CAMPER!
You can also put your passwords in an encrypted file on your computer. One possible program that works on the PC is TrueCrypt. http://www.truecrypt.org However, putting your files on your computer, even encrypted, is still not (in my humble opinion) as safe as storing them all on their own flash drive. And the best part is.. when I travel, I simply take my little flash drive with me… plug it in to any computer’s USB port, and walla…. I have all of my log in, passwords, and web form data, right there with me. I’m able to access any website requesting my password, without worry that typing my user name and password on someone else’s computer, could be stolen or logged using something like a keylogger program. Because every single password is safely stored in RoboForm on my flash drive.
Similarly, you can find a shareware or freeware program on the Mac:
http://www.versiontracker.com/mac/osx/security/password
One important caveat: you will still need one password that you DO remember to access RoboForm or TrueCrypt. So, create one good, secure password you’ll remember for RoboForm, etc. and then you can use random strings for your other passwords.
I have been using RoboForm for about 6 months now… and I STRONGLY recommend you try it. I’m betting you’ll be like me… and wonder how you ever survived without it. http://www.roboform.com/?affid=heinc The download is free for the basic install… but if you need unlimited numbers of passwords and webforms, you may want to upgrade to the Pro Version. I started out using the free download, but upgraded to Pro a few days later when I realized how great this little utility is. RoboForm2Go runs directly from your USB flash drive, no need to install on client computer; one license per USB disk is $19.95. Best $20 I ever spent!
Ed