How Do You Keep Track of Your Passwords?
by Cate Eales
Appeared September 24, 2012 on castanet.net
We are supposed to use different passwords for
different things, and use strong passwords for everything. Well, that’s
a pain, isn’t it? Now we need some kind of gibberish for each and every
program and website that asks for a password, AND it has to be difficult
to remember!
I suspect that many of us use either a simple password over and over, or
the use a complicated one and then write it down somewhere easy to find
– like a Post-It Note stuck to the monitor. There are better ways to go
about this.
Password utilities
Browsers will remember your passwords if allow them to. That’s fine
until “someone” tells the browser to forget all the passwords.
You can store passwords with browser add-ons like
Roboform or
LastPass You can get
a free trial of Roboform, but if you like it you’ll have to pay for the
program. LastPass is free, with more features available in a paid
version. These programs will keep your password information “in the
cloud” so you can access it from anywhere you have an internet
connection.
If having your passwords “in the cloud” makes you nervous,
KeePass, which is
free, keeps your passwords organized for you on your computer, on your
phone, or on a USB flash drive. Learn more about KeyPass is
here. There are links to KeyPass and KeyPass Portable, and to the
Android, iOS and mac versions
here. I
use this program every day.
Another way
While it seems perfectly natural to me to use a little utility to manage
my passwords, I know many people feel most comfortable writing these
things down. I’ve watched my friends and customers paw through
notebooks, folded up scraps of paper, and piles of Post-Its. That didn’t
seem really efficient to me.
And then I came across the Internet Password Organizer.
(click to enlarge graphic)
We're giving these away!
This looked interesting. I reached out to the owners
of the company, and they provided me with several copies that I can give
away to you folks. (Full disclosure: They also provided me with a copy
to keep!)
They describe the books this way:
The Internet Password Organizer was designed to
provide computer users with a centralized location in which to
organize and store their usernames and passwords for the websites
they subscribe to. Bonus sections provide fields for users to record
details about their Internet Service Provider, Email Settings,
Wireless Network, and Software Licenses.
Take a look at the
Internet Password Organizer here. I have one Deluxe and three Gems
to give away.
If you would like a copy, email me at
help@computercarekelowna.com and tell me how you keep track of
your passwords now, and why you would like a copy of the Internet
Password Organizer. The best four answers --- not the first
four, but the best four --- will get a copy. Your entry must be emailed
to me by 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 2, 2012.
I’ll contact the winners by email to arrange for you to receive your
organizer. You must be in Canada to win.
Whether you are in Canada or the USA, you can, of course, purchase the
Gem Collection books from Amazon. They make nice stocking stuffers or
Secret Santa gifts!
Start here. The Deluxe version isn’t sold in Canada. In the US, you
can get it from Amazon.com.
Here is a link.
Remember, to win a copy get your answers in an email to me before the
deadline. I’m looking forward to giving away the books! Many thanks to
the Innovention Lab, Inc, for providing the organizers.
--
I welcome your comments and
questions. I can also visit your home or office to help you and your
computer get along. Call me at 250-764-7043, email
help@computercarekelowna.com or visit
Computer Care Kelowna on
the web.
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Links
Roboform
http://www.roboform.com/
LastPass
http://lastpass.com/
KeyPass
http://keepass.info/
KeyPass download page
http://keepass.info/download.html
Internet Password Organizer
http://www.internetpasswordorganizer.com/Products.html
Where to buy the Internet Password Organizer
http://www.internetpasswordorganizer.com/Where To Buy.html
Amazon.com link to Deluxe version
http://amzn.to/S6Bnyb
Computer Care Kelowna
http://computercarekelowna.com/
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©
Cate Eales 2012 – All Rights Reserved
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