First off, Happy New Year. Many thanks for continuing to read this Blog and gain valuable tips and tricks for yourself and all of your devices.
The Password madness is a level playing field. We all have at least 200 online accounts requiring passwords. Think of all the retailers, banks, social media, email, government offices and entertainment subscriptions you’ve had over the years. Then with COVID-19, you’ve probably created a few food delivery services, video conferencing and retail sites into the mix.
The following is my take on AARP’s October 2020 Recommendations to help you Manage your Passwords:
- Don’t log in with Facebook or Google. Even though I do this myself all of the time. My logic is that it’s one less password to remember. I make a note in my password manager that I’ve used my Facebook or Google login for this account. Most folks will do this but they don’t write down their access point and then get frustrated and go through the change password motions or even more annoying getting locked out of their accounts all together. AARP recommends not using Facebook or Google because if you delete those accounts at some point and forget that those accounts were linked, you will be locked out forever.
- Abide by the golden rule. Use a different password for every account. I also do not do this. I mostly use the same password or a variation of that same password for all of my accounts. But still, I write it down and make a note in my password manager(s) and save it in my online browser.
- Upgrade weak passwords. Nope, I don’t do this either. If I already know the password and I have it written down correctly and I know that it works; why create stress by changing it? The problems start when you change or forget your password and then what you wrote down wasn’t what you typed in… well you know the story. The computer says it’s weak, but it’s not weak if you already know it and know that it works. Most passwords now, require a minimum of at least 8 characters and can have up to 12 characters. They include both upper and lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols. The older passwords, didn’t require so many characters nor numbers, symbols and capital letters so that they are deemed “weak passwords”.
- Reset as needed. NEVER redo or reset your passwords! This is when trouble starts and produces unnecessary stress. You are generating busy work for yourself. The only time I ever reset a password, is when I forget it! And then, I make sure to write it down.
- Designate an emergency contact. THIS I do agree with! If something happens to you, the last thing you want is for your loved ones to scramble out of control to gain access to your accounts and to your devices. Most Password managers usually allow you to designate secure access to others. Or make sure someone knows where you keep your password book. Add this information to your end of life papers. I see this all of the time in my line of work. It is very upsetting, and is like that person has died all over again.
3 Ways to Manage your Passwords
- Web Browsers. Google’s Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s Edge have built-in password managers. When accessing a password-protected website, you will be prompted to save and store that password. Click yes; these are typically secure especially if you already have an account. An example would be if you have a Gmail Email account > you sign into Chrome with that account > your passwords will be synced and saved to all of your devices that use Chrome. I use this method too.
- Password Managers. These can generate strong passwords for you or manage the ones that you already have. I use LastPass.com. But am familiar with Keeper, Dashlane, and 1Password; which are all good choices to help manage the madness. They all offer a free trial for one device but getting one that works on multiple devices will likely cost extra.
- A Handwritten List. If you don’t feel comfortable using a web browser or password manager app, many folks use a handwritten list, typed list, an Excel spreadsheet or a password-manager book of their passwords accounts. I also use Apple’s Notes in my iPhone. These Notes are syncing (for free) so that I can view my Passwords on any device by logging into my iCloud account. AARP says to NEVER store passwords in a computer document on your computer. Because if someone were to hack your computer, that person would have access to your whole life.
I hope that you found this information useful. To recap; I store my passwords in LastPass, in the Notes app on my iPhone and in my Google Chrome web browser. I also save client passwords who have asked me to save them in the notes section of their contact card.