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How do you save [store] passwords??
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Jim Hillier
2700 Posts
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May 5, 2011 - 8:47 pm

Just read the news that the popular LastPass online password manager has been hacked and "some e-mail usernames and master passwords may have been stolen."
(You can read more on that [url=http://blog.lastpass.com/2011/05/lastpass-security-notification.html:cbugp9zz]HERE.[/url:cbugp9zz])

I guess that is an inherent risk with storing passwords online. How to keep passwords safe and secure yet readily accessible?.....that is the conundrum.

If you are anything like me, you will have a plethora of different passwords to keep track of. Here is the method I use:

I have created two separate Word documents, one contains log-on details plus passwords, another contains license keys. Those documents are then password encrypted (using a very strong master password) and stored in a separate folder which is also backed up to external hard drive. That feature is available in Word under[b:cbugp9zz] File>Info>Permissions>Protect Document[/b:cbugp9zz].

Access is just a tad clumsy but I consider that to be a very safe method which doesn't require any extra third party software.

Okay, so do tell.....how do you handle the storing of your passwords, etc.?

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Chad Johnson
867 Posts
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2
May 6, 2011 - 1:55 pm

I've used LastPass off and on for a lot of things.

Then this happened. :/

Now I'm looking at a combination of KeePass and Dropbox.

Not sure yet...

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Chad Johnson
867 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 2:15 pm

I just read the blog post -- looks like they were being overly paranoid - to their credit. They have nothing beyond some weird network traffic, but they are taking every precaution.

Thus far, my faith in LastPass is maintained...

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Flying Dutchman
278 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 6:04 pm

Reading all the news around, it's not clear to me that it's 100% positive that they got hacked - surely can't compare it to the Sony disaster.
I never feld comfortable enough to use LastPass or anything else cloud-based with personal info/ data.
When it frist came out, It sounded interesting and I did quite some reading on it and for a moment even considered using it. Then my old-fashioned me kicked in and I stayed away.
I use KeePass along with another, less ... scientific, method.

@Jim,
Take your method, replace Word with Excel (offers more choices in terms of organizing) and you could be me

I am human

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Jim Hillier
2700 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 6:34 pm

[quote:ha4qdbp5]Take your method, replace Word with Excel (offers more choices in terms of organizing)[/quote:ha4qdbp5]
Hmm, much as I hate to admit it FD , you are right!! Excel would indeed offer better options for departmentalising and organising.

I guess I spend far too much time around novice friends and associates. The vast majority of them wouldn't even know where to begin with Excel, whereas they are all very conversant with Word. I've recommended that method so often, I just never even considered Excel for myself.

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Flying Dutchman
278 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 6:46 pm

[quote="ozbloke":19eo14os]I guess I spend far too much time around novice friends and associates. The vast majority of them wouldn't even know where to begin with Excel, whereas they are all very conversant with Word. I've recommended that method so often, I just never even considered Excel for myself. [/quote:19eo14os]

I know what you mean. The trick is to not let them drag you down to their initial level in order to get through to them, but to push them up to yours, even if they initially resist.

I am human

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Jim Hillier
2700 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 8:00 pm

[quote:3g71ypks]The trick is to not let them drag you down to their initial level in order to get through to them, but to push them up to yours, even if they initially resist.[/quote:3g71ypks]
It's not quite than simple FD. Many of my 'clients' have no comprehension of even the most basics concepts. I can guide them through the simplest operation many times over, even write down step by step instructions.... but they still cannot get it right!

These are mostly people around my own age (and many older) who have never had any experience with computers until quite recently. A good friend (wife of one of my mates) rang me just recently, she said that none of her emails were going (her words). I figured out she must mean her outgoing emails were not "going" when he hit the Send button. I asked her to click on the Internet Explorer icon and see if she could go online. She replied..."It's no use doing that, the modem/router is turned off".

She had no idea that the sending of emails requires an internet connection. They have had a computer for about 4 to 5 years.

I could relate 100 similar tales FD, that's what I am up against!! LOL

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Flying Dutchman
278 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 8:47 pm

Ok Jim, you win.
Never had to deal with situations like the one you described. I guess, I was lucky enough to have to get through to people, not only younger than the age-group you describe (though sometimes, much-much younger, which comes with its own issues), but with some familiarity with modern days technology, even if they're computer illiterate at first.
Then of course, there're people who don't really want to learn all this new stuff, so the people you describe are admirable for at least trying to keep up and more or less managing to do so.

[quote:7rwmt7wu]I could relate 100 similar tales FD, that's what I am up against!! LOL[/quote:7rwmt7wu]
Would love to hear them, maybe a new thread under "Anything Goes!" for people to share their weirdest/ funniest experiences?

I am human

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Jim Hillier
2700 Posts
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May 6, 2011 - 9:06 pm

That's okay FD. I deal with many, many people, not just the odd one here and there. It started off as a kind of hobby but has grown into a combination local computer guru/friends and family/clientele type thingee. Most of my 'clients' are septuagenarians and many are octogenarians, their introduction to these new fangled devices has been comparatively recent. Many don't own a cell phone, those that do just know how to dial out and receive calls, nothing much else. Many still own CRT TV's, a DVD player is on 'the list of things to get' and they are still using the old VCR for recording. A mate of mine (who is around the 70 mark) just bought a hard drive recorder to replace the trusty old VCR.....only because the VCR finally died. He still doesn't own a DVD player.

Sounds archaic I know.

[quote:3i1zkwi7]maybe a new thread under "Anything Goes!" for people to share their weirdest/ funniest experiences?[/quote:3i1zkwi7]
What a great idea!! Going to do that right now...and I expect you to contribute there too.

Cheers....Jim

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David Hartsock
1117 Posts
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10
May 7, 2011 - 9:13 pm

[quote="Flying Dutchman":4wwxm2og]I never feld comfortable enough to use LastPass or anything else cloud-based with personal info/ data.[/quote:4wwxm2og]
I agree 100%! The "cloud" isn't to be relied on. Amazon, Sony, Microsoft, and most others have been down at one point or another. No way I could remember my dozens (if not hundreds) of 20 character passwords if there isn't any access.
My personal choice is RoboForm for many reasons, but the most important ones are the data is on my computer and it works remarkably well.

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Chad Johnson
867 Posts
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11
May 7, 2011 - 10:12 pm

I used to use Roboform, but their lack of support for (then) Firefox and (now) Chrome left me looking for another solution.

I used Xmarks for a while. They got bought by Last Pass and I never changed.

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David Hartsock
1117 Posts
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May 8, 2011 - 7:03 am

On my computers Roboform supports Chrome and Firefox very well, Chad.

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Chad Johnson
867 Posts
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May 8, 2011 - 10:11 pm

[quote="DavesComputerTips":3l29fz5e]On my computers Roboform supports Chrome and Firefox very well, Chad.[/quote:3l29fz5e]

Hrm. I wonder if my license is still valid.
I wonder if I can find my license.
....

i may give it another look.

Thanks!

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Time Traveler
12 Posts
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14
May 24, 2011 - 2:45 pm

I have been using a very simple program called Whisper. So far it has worked. I have a fairly long password to get into it, and my son says it is relatively safe.

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David Hartsock
1117 Posts
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15
May 24, 2011 - 10:03 pm

That's interesting. I looked around and couldn't a "home" page for the product. I did find the software on codeplex, but it was a very early beta. Later versions up to 1.16 could be found in several places, but I found a vulnerability listed on [url=http://securitytracker.com/id/1014730:1xhs5nww]Security Tracker[/url:1xhs5nww], which is of some concern.

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