How To Manage Your Logins And Passwords

Posted on 12.12.06 in Tech Stuff and there are 10 comments.

As a web geek, I find that I have dozens....scores....perhaps hundreds of “accounts” at different sites. It used to be SUCH a headache to manage all of them, much less try to actually remember them all. I made frequent use of the “Forgot Your Password” link until I came up with what I consider to be a tried and true system that I will now share with you.

Username
Basically, I use three standard usernames. These are based on whether I’m using the site for personal use, business use or client use. So, depending on the site I’m at or the specific account I’m trying to log into, I can easily figure out which username is applicable. Now, if you’re an average-use web surfer, one username for all sites is probably fine. If you want an added bit of security go ahead and use a second one for more sensitive sites (bank, paypal etc.)

Password
Now, for the password. This is where people get into trouble. Either they use the same word for all sites (bad...bad...idea) or they use truly random ones and never have a clue what their password is when arrive at a login screen. If you fit into either of those groups, today is your day to rejoice (go ahead...rejoice) because I’m going to share my system with you and I hope it will simplify your web life immensely.

My Secret
Here’s my secret...I use the same password for every site. (gasp) EXCEPT, I change it based on certain specifications of the site I’m on. For example, let’s say my base password is “butterscotch” and I’m creating an account at yahoo.com. I decide on a certain spot where I input information from yahoo.com so that each password on each site is unique.

A simple version would be to make my password be “butterscotchya5”.

What I did was take my base password, added on the first two letters of the site name - YA - AND added the number of letters in the site name - 5. Make sense?

So now, whenever I visit a site I know that my password is going to be “butterscotch” PLUS the first two letters of the site name PLUS the number of letters in the site name. As a result I have an alphanumeric password that is really easy to remember (or at least figure out) for every site I visit.

Make it more secure
Now, if you’re a security nerd like I tend to be, your base word can be a “made up word” that would be difficult to separate from the rest of your formula....like “huplkst” and then you could add variable from the site name into your base password at more random intervals...like the 3 and 5 letters and add the number at the beginning....like this “5huYpAlkst.” In addition, you can change your system on a regular basis (as long as you’re willing to update all the sites.)

Other Passwords
Now I also deal with a number of client logins and passwords that are predetermined by the client. For those, I keep them in a note taking application on my laptop. When I need login info, I just open the search box and type in the site name and in less than a second I have the information I need.

I’m on a Mac, so I hope some PC users will chime in on good note taking apps for Windows, but here are a few of my recommendations for Mac apps:
Checkoff (free) - menu bar to do list manager that also works well for passwords.
Sidenote (free) - very handy notetaking app the slides off screen when not in use.
SoHo Notes - robust note program that has a menu bar search function.
Yojimbo - great note taking app from the makers of bbedit.

With this process I’m never (or at least...rarely) searching through emails or word documents trying to find passwords to sites and at the same time, I can also feel relatively confident that my passwords are secure.

If you’re not asleep yet after reading this post....congratulations. Hopefully, one or two of you will find it useful.

The Comments:

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Good ideas.  I have to frequently change passwords at work and sometimes I just run out of ideas, especially since it has to be different from all other previous passwords.

I make frequent use of “forgot your password?” so hopefully your ideas will help me!

I love that password idea.  I forget mine ALLLL the time.  I have another blog and I can’t remember the password OR the email account that I told them to send that information to just in case I forgot the password.  So there it sits. 

Any suggestions?

I don’t think you fully comprehend how much your password system will change my life, Kat.  Especially with all the millions of passwords you’ve now made me keep track of to run the new site.

Thanks.

(See how I stealthily worked a link in there?  Is that spam?)

Shameless, Groves.  Shameless.

[url="http://www.thecachinnator.blogspot.com<I"m</a< appalled.

Kat, <a href="http://www.thecachinnator.blogspot.com]I’ve[/url] actually been mulling over just such a system recently <a href="http://www.thecachinnator.blogspot.com<myself</a<.  This may well be what finally prompts <a href="http://www.thecachinnator.blogspot.com>me</a> to take action.  my hero.

Wow.

I sure botched that joke.

That’s absolutely hilarious Cach....

Shaun, very subtle.

Seth, I wish I had an idea for you, but…

Amy, I’m glad I could help. I was afraid this post would excessively bore people, so I’m glad to see that you think it’s useful. (btw, I think you’ll be interested in my most recent post...If I recall your musical preferences correctly.)

Since everyone else is ahem, tooting their own horns, I can plug a product I happened to write but use for tracking all my passwords- it’s called HanDBase, and it’s an app for PDAs and smartphones and the desktop.  It a database for handhelds- and I created a simple password database that I have some 400+ entries in.  I keep everything from social security numbers of my kids, to credit card call in numbers (for lost or stolen cards), to any web site password.  It has encryption and I can have it set to only encrypt the password field, so I can scan through the list without even entering a password.  Then a single password decrypts the data so that I only need to know one password in order to get to everything.

There are millions of similar programs out there, but since HanDBase can be used for a lot more than just that, and since I obviously can get the app for a good price that’s my solution of choice. 

I won’t put a link in this posting- I’m not that greedy But of course, it wouldn’t be hard to find if you should be interested

You wrote HanDBase?

That’s so cool…

Good tips for a headache.  I have to write everything down somewhere to remember all the words I use.

I love HanDBase!  That’s too cool.  And Dave’s right, it works like a dream.  I use it for all kinds of things, passwords included.  Sweet.  Good work, Dave!

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