Best Way to Save Bank Passwords

sausage_time

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

For those of us enjoying life outside the Apple walled garden, Google Password manager lets you save notes for each entry.

Some people play outside the walled garden yet still manage to avoid Google.

Indeed.  For many it could be a convenient solution with nothing separate to install, maintain, or back up.

Personally I use a stand-alone open source password manager that I use on my phone and non-Apple non-Microsoft desktop.  I do not store or back up my password file on the cloud.

IvanOpinion

masonic said:

IvanOpinion said:

barnstar2077 said:

The best method I have found that works for me is to keep them in a book, but change the same character in every password so the book is useless to anyone else.  So, for example, have a 16+ character password, but always replace the third character with a 7 in every password.  Make it something you can remember, so in the example you might be a James Bond fan, so 007 will remind you to replace the third character with a 7.

A fan of mountain climbing could make every second character a K.  Just make sure you write something random down in the book for the second character so no one could ever work it out.  So, for the K2 example, you write down "GJ84@JKP0xXH4$%L", but the password is actually "GK84@JKP0xXH4$%L"  Simple really.

If it works for you that is fine, but there is an inherent risk. If someone cracks one of your passwords then they gain access to all (similar to the use of password managers, you only need to crack one password).

To be fair, I use something similar but work with one of 10 salt phrases mangled with the website details - the difference is I can work out any password without ever having to write a password down (even in a mangled form writing passwords down is a major weakness).

How do you deal with the annoying requirements imposed by some sites that passwords must be between X and Y characters in length, and must contain at least 1 character from groups A, B and C, but cannot contain characters from group D?

One of two ways. My little algorithm allows me to include upper, lower, digits, and special characters, so that covers about 99.9% of cases, but as you point out there is that 0.1% that are just plain awkward. In those cases I usually rely on the 'forgot password' functionality.

LHW99

I was amused/horrified recently to receive a paper card from the Coventry with a number grid to use on phone calls!

Reminds me of a long closed business account with Abbey (?). You had to fax them requests for payments to foreign accounts, and they required a new code filled on each fax form to verify.

So they wanted you to set up a list of codes in advance, fax it to them! and then work your way down the list, using the next one each time you made a request. I moved to a foreign exchange broker very quickly.

barnstar2077

IvanOpinion said:

barnstar2077 said:

The best method I have found that works for me is to keep them in a book, but change the same character in every password so the book is useless to anyone else.  So, for example, have a 16+ character password, but always replace the third character with a 7 in every password.  Make it something you can remember, so in the example you might be a James Bond fan, so 007 will remind you to replace the third character with a 7.

A fan of mountain climbing could make every second character a K.  Just make sure you write something random down in the book for the second character so no one could ever work it out.  So, for the K2 example, you write down "GJ84@JKP0xXH4$%L", but the password is actually "GK84@JKP0xXH4$%L"  Simple really.

If it works for you that is fine, but there is an inherent risk. If someone cracks one of your passwords then they gain access to all (similar to the use of password managers, you only need to crack one password).

To be fair, I use something similar but work with one of 10 salt phrases mangled with the website details - the difference is I can work out any password without ever having to write a password down (even in a mangled form writing passwords down is a major weakness).

Given enough time a professional could probably break any code, I am just trying to stop the people who are most likely to get their hands on the book should my house be burgled.  Namely, uneducated career criminals, teenagers and crack heads.  All of which would be stumped, giving me enough time to change everything important myself.

oldernonethewiser

sausage_time said:

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

For those of us enjoying life outside the Apple walled garden, Google Password manager lets you save notes for each entry.

Some people play outside the walled garden yet still manage to avoid Google.

Indeed.  For many it could be a convenient solution with nothing separate to install, maintain, or back up.

Personally I use a stand-alone open source password manager that I use on my phone and non-Apple non-Microsoft desktop.  I do not store or back up my password file on the cloud.

Very true.

I have recommended password managers for friends and family yet some are still of the opinion that these are too complicated and it is much easier to just have one password for everything. 

Eyeful

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

For those of us enjoying life outside the Apple walled garden, Google Password manager lets you save notes for each entry.

Some people play outside the walled garden yet still manage to avoid Google.

Indeed.  For many it could be a convenient solution with nothing separate to install, maintain, or back up.

Personally I use a stand-alone open source password manager that I use on my phone and non-Apple non-Microsoft desktop.  I do not store or back up my password file on the cloud.

Very true.

I have recommended password managers for friends and family yet some are still of the opinion that these are too complicated and it is much easier to just have one password for everything. 

They are the low hanging fruit for future hacking.
I hope they do not protect sensitive information that way!
Even using Google Password Manager is better than just using one password for everything.

Have your friends & family ever tried to install & use a PWM or look on YouTube how to do it?
Which PWM have you suggested to them?

oldernonethewiser

Eyeful said:

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

For those of us enjoying life outside the Apple walled garden, Google Password manager lets you save notes for each entry.

Some people play outside the walled garden yet still manage to avoid Google.

Indeed.  For many it could be a convenient solution with nothing separate to install, maintain, or back up.

Personally I use a stand-alone open source password manager that I use on my phone and non-Apple non-Microsoft desktop.  I do not store or back up my password file on the cloud.

Very true.

I have recommended password managers for friends and family yet some are still of the opinion that these are too complicated and it is much easier to just have one password for everything. 

They are the low hanging fruit for future hacking.
I hope they do not protect sensitive information that way!
Even using Google Password Manager is better than just using one password for everything.

Have your friends & family ever tried to install & use a PWM or look on YouTube how to do it?
Which PWM have you suggested to them?

That is exactly how some people "protect" all sorts of info.

I have suggested all sorts of things but you can lead a horse to water......

Prism

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

oldernonethewiser said:

sausage_time said:

For those of us enjoying life outside the Apple walled garden, Google Password manager lets you save notes for each entry.

Some people play outside the walled garden yet still manage to avoid Google.

Indeed.  For many it could be a convenient solution with nothing separate to install, maintain, or back up.

Personally I use a stand-alone open source password manager that I use on my phone and non-Apple non-Microsoft desktop.  I do not store or back up my password file on the cloud.

Very true.

I have recommended password managers for friends and family yet some are still of the opinion that these are too complicated and it is much easier to just have one password for everything. 

Anything important such as banks and savings will protected by a phone based MFA though so its not as bad as it seems.

Besides, much of the time passwords are phished or captured with malware in which case the password is leaked regardless of complexity.

jaceyboy

I use notes on iPhone and password protect it

WLewer98

jaceyboy said:

I use notes on iPhone and password protect it

Same

Combine this with a SIM PIN, and 'lock passcode & face ID' in iPhone settings to prevent changes to them (should your phone get stolen).