I started getting more concerned about passwords when I began to read about a lawyer who was unable to settle an estate because the passwords of certain online accounts perished with their owner. A light bulb went on. I suddenly realized that I had some dormant online accounts whose passwords may have been remembered by an old computer but were no longer anywhere within my brain.
It was then that I began a Password Log. At the start of each new year, and occasionally through the year, I review and update the entries. Each entry includes the -
- site or computer name,
- email account used,
- User Name or ID,
- answers to any challenge questions, and
- password or PIN.
For my purposes, I group the various accounts into -
- Registration (e.g. Dell Computer, Google)
- Frequent Flyer (e.g. Delta, credit card)
- E-Commerce (e.g. eBay, Obitz)
- Financial (e.g. Bank, Schwab)
This Password Log has become a lifeline, but it also is an exposure. I keep a copy under lock and key with my records. For better online security and to force myself to be more cognizant of passwords, I now -
- never have the computer remember any passwords,
- clear private data, including session cookies, both before and after any secure transaction,
- have developed a suite of about a dozen passwords, from simple (4 positions) to complex (36 positions), using Choosing Pretty Good Passwords for ideas, and
- change this suite of passwords on a regular, e.g. quarterly, basis.
At this point, I can’t say that I feel completely safe in this online world. I can only say that I’ve made a reasonable effort. Sometimes, that’s the best you can do with this technology mayhem.
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