How does everyone manage their passwords?

[cpursley]

Saw a thread on the appraiser subreddit the other day asking about IT stuff including password management. It ended up inspiring me to write a post about password management and security as it's something that I've been adamant about for years. And not just for the ability to store your "order portal" passwords in one place - but to generate stronger non-human readable passwords. I've used LastPass for years but they apparently had a breach not long ago. What does everyone here prefer?

 

[cpursley]

Saw a thread on the appraiser subreddit the other day asking about IT stuff including password management. It ended up inspiring me to write a post about password management and security as it's something that I've been adamant about for years. And not just for the ability to store your order portal passwords in one place but to generate stronger non-human readable passwords. I've used LastPass for years but they apparently had a breach not long ago. What does everyone here prefer?

Now if I could only get the wife to use a password manager...

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Cursing a lot and a small black book I try to keep updated. Currently somewhere between 80-90 entries.

 

[Surf Cat]

Well.... the way I look at it is that if you have a computer hooked to the internet and a cell phone, hackers already know all they want to know about you.

Hackers have probably looked at me and thought themselves, "huh, licensed appraiser, this guy doesn't have anything!" And move on to bigger fish.

The thing I'm adamant about is keeping my antivirus software, malware blockers, spyware, up to date. Because it's a P.I.T.A. to get an infected computer working normally again.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

and a cell phone, hackers already know all they want to know about you.

or they can just buy the data from your car maker who is plotting every mile you drive, where you drive, how fast you drive, what places you visit, and resell that data to anyone willing to pay the price.

 

[cpursley]

hackers already know all they want to know about you

Password managers will generate a unique non-human readable password (i.e., computationally much hard to hack) per site/portal.

Here's an example: https://www.lastpass.com/features/password-generator

Currently somewhere between 80-90 entries.

With a password manager, it auto-fills all of these. You just have to remember the master password (which should be occasionally rotated, of course).

 

[cpursley]

antivirus software, malware blockers, spyware

This is a good list. I'd also add an ad blocker to that. uBlock Origin is great - it even blocks some video ads.

uBlock Origin - Free, open-source ad content blocker.

uBlock Origin is not just an “ad blocker“, it's a wide-spectrum content blocker with CPU and memory efficiency as a primary feature. Developed by Raymond Hill.

ublockorigin.com

 

[RCA]

I've used 1Password for Business for years, plus a set of Yubi keys. Plus about 10 authentication apps on my iphone such as Google Authenticator, ....

Yes, at first it is a nightmare to use everything. But with time, it becomes habit and you don't think about it. Using 15 and 20+ character passwords has become habit. I'm kind of surprised to see my wife using 15+ character passwords as if it were nothing.

I have about 1100 passwords on 1Password - which requires a Yubi key to login to - at intervals of 1-4 weeks (user settable). And I store a lot of other information as well.

 

[ucbruin]

After years of forgetting my passwords....
About a dozen years or so ago, I started to use the names of my old girlfriends....
Had to substitute some letters with the required numbers and special symbols....
Lucky for me, all my GFs kicked me to the curb....
For you 30+ years guy with the same woman, you need the password software....

 

[LesPaul59]

This is a good list. I'd also add an ad blocker to that. uBlock Origin is great - it even blocks some video ads.

uBlock Origin - Free, open-source ad content blocker.

uBlock Origin is not just an “ad blocker“, it's a wide-spectrum content blocker with CPU and memory efficiency as a primary feature. Developed by Raymond Hill.

ublockorigin.com

If it wasn't for UBlock Origin and SponserBlock I'd never visit Youtube.