What’s in a password – Part 2
In part 1 of my discussion of passwords I warned you about using the same password on many sites. In short, it’s important to not only use a complex password but also to not use the same password on more than one site – no matter how complex it is.
So now that you’re using more passwords the question becomes, how do you remember them all. And, unless you’re blessed with a photographic memory, you’re going to want to store all these passwords somewhere.
There are many solutions to such a problem, but these solutions do come with risks so understanding these risks will help you make an informed decision.
The most basic, and non technical, solution is to not store your passwords on your computer at all but rather write them in a book (how novel) or on a pad. If that doesn’t work for you then read on.
In my last article I discussed a Windows program called RoboForm. RoboForm will store all of your passwords for you and even fill in the log-in information on websites you visit for you. These passwords are stored on your computer in an encrypted format granted that you give RoboForm a master password with which to encrypt them. The nice thing about using a master password is that should you lose your computer or have it stolen, the thief will need your master password in order to gain access to your passwords.
There are other password keeping programs out there and a simple search should provide you with many alternatives.
The Internet browsers themselves, on the other hand, work differently. All modern browsers provide a feature that lets you save your passwords for different websites. While they do hide your passwords when filling out those pesky log-in forms, they don’t specifically keep your passwords safe. Rather they depend upon your computer remaining within your control. The use the Windows or Mac log in password to protect you logins. Once someone has access to your computer’s desktop, then access to your passwords is available. So the key here is to make sure that you use a password when you log on, open or turn on your computer.
One simple security trick you can employ is to enable your screen saver and set it so that once it starts, it won’t let you back on your computer’s desktop unless you enter your password. Get in the habit of locking your computer when you step away from it (in Windows hold the ‘Windows’ key while pressing the ‘L’; on a Mac, turn on a hot corner).
The point here is that no matter where you save your passwords, they are stored on your computer in some fashion. Keeping your computer safe and secure should be your primary concern. However, should your computer disappear then a second line of defense of storing these passwords in an encrypted fashion on your computer will provide an added layer of security.
Do you have any ideas or thoughts on this subject? I’d like to hear them.
- Jim
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Tags: Encryption, Mac, password, security, windows
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Having a password manager is essential! It is easy to forget to lock your screen every time you walk away. On top of adding a layer of security as you mentioned, RoboForm allows you to access your passwords from any computer (securely!). Your RoboForm Data Files are stored on Siber Systems’ RoboForm Everywhere (Online) servers and are encrypted (by AES) with your Master Password as the key. Since your Master Password is not stored on Siber’s servers, absolutely nobody, including Siber Systems, can access your passwords or other RoboForm data. Highly recommend it! A free trial of RoboForm can be downloaded at http://www.roboform.com/download.
Great point, Melissa. I dedicated a large part of part 1 in this series to Roboform and use it myself. Thanks for your comment.
[...] series of articles we discussed the importance of using different and uncommon passwords, And, in part 2, we discussed ways in which you can keep track of these [...]
hello,this is an excellent article,I found it on yahoo and I like it very much,I agree with you, lots of things will be learned form your site,but I am not follw well with the last part,can you explain it for me ?I will appreciate your answer,and I will be back again!
Sherlyn, thanks for your comment. By the “last part”, I assume you mean the final paragraph. If that’s not it please let me know.
What I’m saying there is that the physical security of your computer should be your primary concern. If it’s stolen, then having your passwords stored on your computer using some form of encryption is the way to go. This way the thief can’t view a list of your passwords. One way to do this is to keep your passwords in an excel spreadsheet that is protected with a password or by using software such as RoboForm which will keep a list of your passwords on your computer but do so by encrypting them so that they can only be viewed by someone who knows your master password.
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