Passwords

[badcompany]

I don't want the same password for every account I have, but, that creates the problem of remembering all of them.

My "system," if you can call it that, is to scribble all the vendors/forums ect. and the passwords on a piece of paper.

Does anyone have a more organized way of handling this?

[bigmack]

Free for personal use. http://passpack.com/en/home/

[chickenhead]

we've got a bunch of hacker guys at work -- they gave a security talk the other day, in part about passwords.


if you aren't going to go the way of a password vault online somewhere, one current best practice recommendation is:

First, avoid bad passwords.

Bad passwords have either of these qualities:

Short
Can't remember (because then you write it down)
One dictionary word with e.g. 123 after it.

They should be long, the longer the better. And you should be able to remember them. What words are really long, not in a dictionary, but also can be remembered? Well there is no such thing -- but phrases fit the bill.

Things like songs lyrics, movie quotes, etc. A favorite lyric from "Eye of the Tiger", a favorite movie quote from "Turner and Hooch" (hard to choose just one, really), something like that. A whole string of words, many many characters.

[bigmack]

a favorite movie quote from "Turner and Hooch" (hard to choose just one, really), something like that.
Yo, yo, Grits! You seein' what I'm seein'?

Chickie 'goin rogue' with an underhanded slider to the far outside corner and gets a strike on us with the Turn&Hooch bit.

You gonna let this aggression stand, er what?

Me? I say - We go to War!

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfj6xarYgT1qe0eclo1_r25_500.gif

[Grits]

Chickie better not mess with Turner and Hooch! He'll lose points so fast it'll make his head spin . . . . as in needing an exorcism.

[johnhannibalsmith]

....Things like songs lyrics, movie quotes, etc. A favorite lyric from "Eye of the Tiger", a favorite movie quote from "Turner and Hooch" (hard to choose just one, really), something like that. A whole string of words, many many characters.

I like to use vehicle models. Generally nonsensical words with letters and numbers.

SuzukiGsxr750

82HondaCivic

71Datsun240z

Easy to remember and usually meets the criteria for a 'strong' password.

[bigmack]

Chickie better not mess with Turner and Hooch! He'll lose points so fast it'll make his head spin . . . . as in needing an exorcism.
I forgot about the passing of JohnnyC.

We good, Chick. :ThmbUp:

[wilderness]

I've used an unknown quantity of passwords for hordes of websites every since I came online in 1996.
For a short while I stored them on my machine and in a software, until I became aware of the possibility of vulnerability.

Have three little pocket-ruled-index notebooks and keep them all there.
At times and when you don't use a login often, it's a real PITA to look one up.
(Bought four new books to organize and update, however never seem to get around to it.

There are so simple additions that you make make to standard used names for variation on passwords.

1) your standard user name
+ mothers or fathers name (if different from your own)
+ a great-grandparents first name of nickname
+ many business' have standard user login beginnings followed by a username; "fomoco div 84" is a random example; thus your pass would be "redDogfomocodiv84". It seems complicated at first, however once you begin using them, they stick.

I use a different pass for every site (at least for those that may have some relative connection), at one time also used separate user-names (still do in some instances).

Some accounts should have much stronger passwords and never be used for anything else (banking is one example).

[chickenhead]

No no no. They'll be none of that, Mack.

[Robert Goren]

I decided sometime ago to put passwords into 2 different categories. The sites like this one where I am not worried about someone getting my password. I use the same simple password for them. Then there are sites that I am concerned about like my bank account. I use a different harder password for each of them. I have taken a small risk by using LastPass to keep track of them. That way I don't go crazy when my computer crashes. If I was more organized I would keep a paper file instead of using LastPass. I tried that once and spent 2 hours in panic mode trying to find it in this mess of my computer desk.

[Marshall Bennett]

A short 3 word phrase spelling the first, second, or third word backwards is what I've used for some accounts. It's easy to remember and effective. Have also used my first name spelled backwards and the last 4 numbers of my phone # in reverse, also easy to remember.

[PhantomOnTour]

I like to make up words, such as:

handohagger
ranojib
horgatorg
findoload
barshecko

Put a number before and/or after these nonsense words and you're good.
Trouble is trying to remember them, but i have that written down somewhere secret.