Passwords

trashcan_2

I expect a few of you have different on-line account.
We are told to never write down our passwords for security reasons.
What do you do?
Do you keep the same password for all your account. And don't write it down.
Do you have different passwords and write them down.
Or do your have other ways.

Nowadays its impossible to remember everything, so i was hoping for some tips.

Cheers.

jem16

I use Roboform to keep all my passwords.

ManAtHome

I have several which I 'sort-of' don't write down - first letter and number of characters, eg B6 (if you can guess it from that, I'll give up now...).

pfpf

i keep mine in an encrypted file on my PC and a backup on an encrypted file on a USB stick.

Cryptainer
TrueCrypt

KeithEssex_2

Banks will not compensate you if it becomes apparent that you must have written your password down.

They will however compensate you if you have the same password for multiple banks but kept it securely (i.e. no written record).

On that basis it is much better for you to choose a standard password that you can remember but keep it in your head.

I have approx. 15 accounts and would never be able to cope with 15 different passwords.

Same logic for PIN numbers.

trashcan_2

All interesting points. I have been edging to the one password kept in my head. I have downloaded the password manger to have a look, its good but if you forget to log out or your PC breaks down without you logging off and you have to have it repaired it would be the same as if its written down.

Lokolo

HSBC I have the security number on paper in wallet, but I know my login so unless someone else magically finds that out they can't get in.

Lloyds I don't keep my password, only secret number thing on paper.

epsilondraconis

You could always use the same password for all accounts, but extend it by adding one letter to the start and one letter to the end. The letters that you add could are the start and end letters of the organisation to which the password relates. e.g. Your main password is 'smarties', thus the following passwords would be used for the following:

HSBC - hsmartiesc
Nationwide - nsmartiese
etc.

Some password require at least one number to be included. Perhaps position the number immediately after the first extended letter. Therefore we now have:

HSBC - h2smartiesc
Nationwide - n2smartiese

trashcan_2

epsilondraconis,

I like that idea, that easy to remember. Thanks.

rexel

email passwords to yourself

[Deleted User]

I split passwords depending on what they're used for e.g. hotmail, MSE password is used a lot and wouldn't be particulary hard to brute force crack.

However the password(s) I use for online banking would be somewhat harder to crack and are used a lot less.

I would never use a program to 'remember' my passwords no matter what endorsements they had and I obviously wouldn't write them down! For important ones I'd also never save them when Internet Explorer / Firefox asks me to.

This is coming from a Network Analyst by the way...

One tip I could say is instead of using passwords try passphrases (sequence of words). To make it even more secure swap letters with numbers e.g.
E = 3,
A = 4,
S = $