Google+ Store Passwords Safely ~ High Tech House Calls
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Jack of All Trades, Master of Many

Jack of All Trades, and Master of Many

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How To Stop Malware

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Store Passwords Safely

Do you have so many usernames and passwords to remember that you write them down in a book?

   What happens if the book is lost or stolen?
   What happens when you need a password and the book is at home?

You can buy software to maintain your list of usernames and passwords. The two major players are:

   RoboForm (http://www.siber.com/)
   SplashID (http://www.splashdata.com/)

How about a free solution? In a previous blog, I talked about using DropBox (www.dropbox.com) to backup files on your computer. If you create a document in Word - one that lists your usernames and passwords, for example - you can store that file on the cloud using your DropBox account. The file can now be accessed from any computer, smartphone or tablet that can connect to the Internet and can read a Word document. Your files are encrypted on DropBox.  Only someone who knows your DropBox username and password can read this file.

How about a less complex solution for free? Everyone has a USB flash drive. If you don't, the price has dropped so much that you should go out and buy one anyway. You could copy your password list onto the USB flash drive and keep the flash drive with you. When you need to retrieve the password list, simply plug the flash drive into the USB port of your computer and access the file. If your device doesn’t have a USB port (i.e. an iPad or Smartphone), this solution won’t work for you.

If you find this solution still lacking in security because the data is not encrypted, you can encrypt the file. This article describes the software and the encryption process: http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_keep_data_on_my_laptop_secure.html

If you are not interested in encrypting the file, but still want the file to be secure, be crafty in how you display the passwords. Think up a shorthand memory jogger than only you would know to store the password.

For example, if your password was a combination of your son’s name and birthday, you could write “firstborn bd”. You are limited only by your imagination for the shorthand notation for your password.

Carl Thorne High Tech House Calls Expert Computer Consulting