El Password Loco

[Guest ryan2552]

There must be a better way. I have about 20 user ids and passwords for various banking, online shopping, forums, email addresses and newsletter subscriptions. At first I was using the same for each but decided against that. However, the change has led to a nightmare of little pieces of paper with the recorded user id and passwords sticking all over my desk.

 

So how do you handle keeping track of your password? Is here any applications or other methods you can suggest?

[Kevin Slater]

Firefox (and probably most browsers) gives you the option of saving your UserIDs and passwords. You just have to give your Firefox password when you launch the application, and it remembers the rest. Of course when you later need to remember them yourself, you're screwed.

 

Kevin Slater

[Guest DickHo]

http://www.roboform.com/

 

The best password program ever!

[+ Hoover42]

There is also a free opensource password manager that is pretty popular. Here's the link

 

http://keepass.info/

 

Roboform and Keepass fans fight each other over which is better.

 

...Hoover

[seeker630]

As an alternative, I have a spreadsheet of various account numbers, including id's & passwords, with links in the sheet th the various web pages for things like utilities (electricity, etc.), banking, credit cards, etc. (The file has a name totally irrelevant to its content, if anyone *were to access my computer, they're not likely to notice it.) It has the advantage of being portable, too.

 

Low tech, but I'm very wary of loading programs on my computer sicne i'm not savvy enough to resolve the occasional conflicts between programs.

[Kevin Slater]

I do something similar, but don't even write the actual password, just how many digits it is, or whether I add letters onto the end of it (some accounts require numbers and letters, other forbid them, etc.). From that I (and only I) can reconstruct the password. And yes, it's saved under something like "Christmas memo '96".

 

Kevin Slater

[Guest josephga]

i use the same login and pass code for everything

[seeker630]

After I had used the same login & password for several accounts or sites, I ran into some that wouldn't accept them - in some cases the id was already taken, in others the password requirements (length, restrictions on numbers & letters etc) were different.

So I've ended up with variations on the original theme

[Greathands]

I sent an email earlier today to ryan explaining my system, but after reading the many posts here, thought i'd share it with the rest of you.

 

Basically, I have a formula that I use for my username and passwords.

 

A few of the sites I use require using an email address for the username, which is obviously easily remembered.

 

For the rest, my "formula" goes like this: I chose an old childhood nickname that hasn't been used in many years. For explanation purposes, let's say it is "joey". Because some sites require an alpha-numeric username, I've added a specific number to it, such as "joey12". This is the base part of the formula. To make it unique, I add the first letter of the web site I'm currently using at the beginning of the username.

 

For the password, I use a very similar formula. I've chosen an obscure phone number that I remember from my childhood; for example, "1234567". I then add the site's first letter in front of the numbers.

 

So ...

 

Using this site (daddysreviews.com) as an example,

the username would be "djoey12"

and the password would be "d1234567"

 

or another example using Verizon ...

the username would be "vjoey12"

and the password would be "v1234567"

 

I've never had a problem doing this. So far, it's been totally secure and I've never had trouble remembering a user name or password.

 

The formula could be whatever combination you'd like it to be.

[OneFinger]

I also use "intelligent" passwords and have found they work great for me. Many years ago I started using my secretary's first name and the year she was my secretary. For example, one password would be Nancy2000. It contains both alpha-numeric along with at least one capital letter.

 

I also keep a Word file with all my account numbers, user names and passwords (like previously suggested). I also think it's good idea to have a document that loved ones can access when you die that lists where you've stashed your dough and your life insurance data. In addition, when I close an account, I don't delete it from the file. I strike through the entry and list the date the account was closed. That way if loved ones remember I had an account with ABC Bank, there will be reference telling them that account was closed.

 

But, rather than keeping a document with sensitive information that could be comprised, I use hints. For example:

[ol]

Daddy's Site: User = OneFinger and Password = Secretary 2000

Gaydar: User = FingerOne and Password = 3rd Lover 1983 [/ol]

That way I have a reference and also a "hint" to help me remember the password.

 

For places that require a strictly numeric password, I use my home phone number from 1967. For most hackers that's info which would be very difficult to research.

 

I've also found that it's helpful to change "stardard" info that some places require for accounts or registration. Although I'm not Asian, I always list my mother's maiden name as Kawaguchi. I've adopted Yoshikatsu as my father's middle name. Always have fun with places like American Excess that insist on having me repeat that info every time I call them to discuss my account.:+