How To Manage Passwords?

chiefgeek

Still dealing with the password conundrum?  How to deal with and remember all those passwords?  Well, here’s my advice, not perfect, but it works for me.

  1. Keep them over 8 characters, but not over 10.  You want them to be difficult to crack, but not so complicated you need to look it up everytime you need to input it.
  2. Use a word coupled with a number, and insert a capital letter somewhere in it.  This should meet the requirements of most websites.  Also, keep a symbol handy to tack on the end in case the website requires one.
  3. Write them down.  What?  Write them down?  Yes, write them down, keep a master list somewhere where you live.  I keep mine in a text file that is synced with Dropbox.  That way no matter where I am, I can always look up a password I can’t remember.  As a side note, keep a revision date on the piece of paper or text file, and every time you change it, put the date you changed it, so you won’t get old passwords confused with the newer ones.
  4. Have a default password to use with websites you don’t have any financial or personal information on, like Home Depot, or whatever.  That way you can always try that password first if you haven’t been there in a while.
  5. Use a password manager on your main computer.  I actually use Google Chrome, which will save and sync my passwords across multiple devices (computer, tablet, and phone).  Other password managers…
    1. LastPass.
    2. KeePass.
    3. Dashlane.
    4. Sticky Password.
    5. Roboform.
  6. Most importantly, whatever method you use, stick to it.  Get into a good password management habit, and then you won’t stress out when it comes time to know your…
    1. Microsoft Password
    2. Apple ID password
    3. Google Password
    4. Yahoo password
    5. Xfinity password
    6. Bank password

Thank you again for subscribing, please share this with friends and family.  Right now this goes out to about 500 people, most here in Middle Tennessee.  I’d like to grow this list to over a 1000 this year, so (as I tell my girls), “Be nice and share.”.  See you next week, where I’m going to begin a series on Cord Cutting.  What is cord cutting?  Well, saying bye bye to expensive cable and satellite TV, and saving hundreds, and even thousands of dollars per year.  Oh yea, I know you like how that sounds!  Blessings my friends.

Steve