I have over thirty password accounts to remember. Everything from Blogger to Yahoo to Facebook, GoodReads, B&N book clubs. Never mind online ordering accounts like Best Buy and Amazon. Then there are the RWA passwords, MWA, SinC. And I have five email accounts.
It's no wonder I can't remember them all!
And yes, I could use the same password for everything, but supposedly that's a big techno no-no. And those little boxes that automatically keep you logged in? I don't use those either.
But I don't think I'm alone in my password forgetfulness. In fact, there are now password organizers flooding the market. Take a look at these over at Amazon.Though I have to question the safety of having all your passwords laying around in a handy-dandy little notebook, I'd also have to question my sanity if I didn't write them all down. I guess there has to be a compromise in there somewhere. An inconspicuous notebook, maybe.
Do you have a great memory? Or have you started writing them all down too?
13 comments:
I have to write my down. I was doing okay remembering what few passwords I was using until I started my blog.
From there I've added so many passwords and user ids, I couldn't keep them straight. Even when you want to use the same passwords, every log in has different lengths the passwords has to be or this has to have numbers with letters.
I started a journal. It's probably not a good idea, but it was better than constantly having to have new passwords e-mailed to me because I couldn't remember which passwords went with what site.
I write my down and named the file that only I would know that it contains all my password.
Another thing is that your password must be "strong". I think one site wouldn't accept the password I created because it considered it weak. Geeze.
At work, we have to change our password every 45 days and we can't use the last five passwords that we create, so every 45 days we have to come up with something that we would remember. Talk about stress.
I had to write down all my passwords, too. Not surprising. I have a memory like a sieve.
I've been writing them down for years (even before my memory started discarding stuff arbitrarily while retaining the names of my elementary school teachers and my late grandmother's phone number--and that hasn't been in service since 1986). And, yes, I tend to use the same ones for everything. It may be stupid, but I feel that if a hacker really wants to get into my system (and why would he?), he will, no matter how careful I am.
I remember mine...but I do a variation of 3-4 different passwords, just add a number here or there.
Echoing Dru, at work I log into three different servers with a different password for each, and each requires a password change every six months. One of them requires that the password be completely different, the other two allow a single character to be changed.
On a fourth server, I've used the same password since 1997; it has never been broken (the IT department periodically runs software to try to break our passwords), I've never been asked to change it, and I've never had to write it down. All the others, however, I have had to start noting down, either on paper or in an unobtrusive text file.
Now, which is theoretically more secure? The one I've had for 13 years and never wrote down? Or all the ones I've had to change every six months for "security reasons" and have to leave a written record of?
I wouldn't use an organizer though. Somewhere, someone is already figuring out how to target and hack them (if they haven't already).
I struggle with that sometimes as well, but I would still be leary of even using a password organizer that is provided by someone else....cause then THEY have your list. Ugh. What to do!? :)
I write them down. Now...where did I put them?
LOL - I think I need one of those notebooks!
There's only one password I really, really have to learn, and that is the one that unlocks the bios level of my computer. Whenever I shut down my computer I have to use the bios password to log back on. And, yes, I have to have all the other ones written down, but put them in my secure fire proof safe that is locked whenever we are away (then I only have to remember where I put the key!). So did computers simplify our lives?
LOL on computers simplifying our lives! I think Sheila's right--if a hacker wants in, my passwords aren't going to stop them.
And some of those organizers are very cute! But locking it up is probably a very good idea.
I had to start writing them down because the frustration of remembering which goes to what was too much for me to handle. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!
I have so much trouble remembering
that I use varations of the same
password. not the best idea. I'm
going to do something I read about
recently. Make up a sentence with
at least 1 number in it & be sure the sentence is one you would remember. Then just use the first
initial of each word & the number itself wherever it occurs for your
password. For multiple accounts,
and multiple places, you would have
to make up more than 1 sentence. If you could tie into the sentence
something that means the site where
you are going to use the password,
that would make it easier. For
Amazon.com, you might use the
following:
The Amazon River is almost 4000
miles long. The password would be
TARIA4000ml. It would take some
time to do so many, but I bet it
would be helpful.
jeaneintexas
I write them down in my daytimer which is my bible. Unfortunately, last year 2008 I actually lost my daytimer for the first time ever. Yikes! I lost it in mid-October. And it was full of passwords and peoples' emails. I'm pretty sure it blew of the top of the rental car (black daytimer, black car) at my daughter's in NoVa and blew into near someone's trash bins. I haven't had any breaches or other stuff and it's been a year. Still, it's scary.
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