Too Many Passwords Why & How To Organize Your Online Authentications

In the past couple of years, attacks on Gawker.com and LinkedIn have resulted in hackers gaining access to millions of passwords. The incidents have heightened awareness of the importance of using strong passwords, as these and other websites have advised users to change their passwords to something different (at least) or something difficult-to-guess and even potentially unique (even better).

Best Practices

A password shouldn’t be a simple word, because hackers typically have software that can attempt thousands of dictionary combinations. The best password would be a random combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. The longer the string, the harder the password will be to crack. The downside is that a random assortment of characters isn’t easy to remember, so it’s not really practical. Fortunately, there are few easy tips for creating complex passwords that are memorable. One common method is to use the first letters of a favorite phrase or lyric. For instance, “l pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands” could become lpa2tFotUSattRfwis. In this example we mixed the uppercase and lowercase letters by capitalizing the letter for Republic. The key is that the phrase must be easily remembered and that it fit within the prescribed password size and requirements.

Why You Shouldn’t Repeat Passwords

Another issue that often come to light following major website attacks is that many users use the identical passwords for multiple sites. To protect yourself you could keep a list of your usernames file on your PC or smartphone. However, if your computer crashes or you lose your phone, you risk losing that list, in which case, your only remedy would be to contact an administrator of each web service to retrieve your passwords. Instead, some people have turned to passwords managers to keep track of their usernames and password.

Password Managers

When using a password manager, you only have one maser password to remember, and it becomes your key to unlocking the credential storing software. Password manager utilities are available in offline and online options. The software encrypts your data, so that only individuals with the master password can access the file. Not only does this reduce the burden of remembering the credentials, but it also is a deterrent to hackers to the keys you press in the hopes of determining your usernames and passwords. Most support a variety of popular Web browsers.

Key Password Manager Features

Some password manager feature random password generator that are ideal for creating secure passwords. Once the program generates a password, it saves the pa

ssword and links it to the website and username you prefer, so you never need to remember the complex sequence.

The Cons of password Managers

Because you probably won’t be physically typing in password very often, it’s much easier to forget your usernames and passwords. And if you need to get into your accounts from several computers, it may take extra time to do so, when working through an online password manager. You may also encounter issues if you use an offline password manager and need to access your passwords on different PC, such as one at a hotel or at work.