Yet another password tip

[tatomaceda]

How can you manage having different passwords for different sites, and yet remember them all?
Simple - Use a password and a pin.

1. Create an 8 letter password that meets the required difficulty setting. Upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols.
2. Have a 4 digit pin.

Say I choose "ESCALATE" and "1235".
Complicate your password. So "ESCALATE" becomes "e5(4LA7E"
Then use your pin to get letters from the URL.
To log into cruisersforum.com you would use "e5(4LA7Ecrus".

Password length and pin length is yours to decide. Above posted as examples only.
For sites that ask you to change passwords regularly... add a number or two at the end.

Hope this helps.

[Zanshin]

I much prefer to use the free and open-source "KeePass" for secure passwords. You only need to remember the password to get into the program (and make that as complex as practicable) and then all your other passwords are stored in the program. I set each password to use whatever the maximum length allowed by the site and have KeePass generate a random letter-number-punctuation-symbol password which I set and thereafter never remember. Then, when at the userid/login prompt for the site, press Ctrl-A and Keepass will automagically fill in the userid and password. I've got over 100 userid/password combinations (email accounts,banking,websites,etc.) and each one is completely different and not related to the others and therefore cracking one is no use in cracking the others. And cracking the KeePass key is quite difficult because I keep the program and database on a USB stick with me - so first someone needs to get at the data and then they need to crack the key.

[nzmal]

Words for passwords make for an easy crack by throwing a dictionary programme at them.
I prefer a mnemonic from a phrase that is meaningful with the site suffix.
Gimdasi14yo:cf
..Georgina is my daughter and she is 14 years old : cruisers forum

[yalnud]

Originally Posted by tatomaceda

How can you manage having different passwords for different sites, and yet remember them all?
Simple - Use a password and a pin.

1. Create an 8 letter password that meets the required difficulty setting. Upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols.
2. Have a 4 digit pin.

Say I choose "ESCALATE" and "1235".
Complicate your password. So "ESCALATE" becomes "e5(4LA7E"
Then use your pin to get letters from the URL.
To log into cruisersforum.com you would use "e5(4LA7Ecrus".

Password length and pin length is yours to decide. Above posted as examples only.
For sites that ask you to change passwords regularly... add a number or two at the end.

Hope this helps.

I have no idea what in tha #&@* you did there!!! But i like it

[Pelagic]

All the stupid posts I have ever made were done by a Russian hacker, so I take no responsibility for the bad ones[emoji1]

[hafa]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

I much prefer to use the free and open-source "KeePass" for secure passwords...

Encrypted password managers are the way to go. Either open source or proprietary, depending on need and preference. I have no idea what any of my passwords are, as they are different for every site and application and are typically 20-30 characters with a mix of entirely random upper and lower-case alpha, numbers and symbols.

Simply copy>paste when you need a password. The manager I use allows for synchronization between Windows and Android, so passwords are also readily available on the phone.

One note about these managers, however: Ensure that you have a program to backup the data file on a daily basis, either to a NAS or the cloud; if your data file is lost, your life will be very unhappy.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by hafa

One note about these managers, however: Ensure that you have a program to backup the data file on a daily basis, either to a NAS or the cloud; if your data file is lost, your life will be very unhappy.

You can save them into Evernote password as well so get to them anywhere, password protected (as long as you remember that password )

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by tatomaceda

How can you manage having different passwords for different sites, and yet remember them all?
Simple - Use a password and a pin.

1. Create an 8 letter password that meets the required difficulty setting. Upper case, lower case, numbers and symbols.
2. Have a 4 digit pin.

Say I choose "ESCALATE" and "1235".
Complicate your password. So "ESCALATE" becomes "e5(4LA7E"
Then use your pin to get letters from the URL.
To log into cruisersforum.com you would use "e5(4LA7Ecrus".

Password length and pin length is yours to decide. Above posted as examples only.
For sites that ask you to change passwords regularly... add a number or two at the end.

Hope this helps.

And then you get a site that only allows 4 numerical digits and the plan goes out the window.

Far too many sites have passwords that really don't need them.

[FionaJC]

The company I work for has come up with this The suprisingly, comprehensive but simple guide to safe passwords. | Because 30 years experience really counts

I would also advise against using an online password safe. they are a target and are often successfully hacked. Keypass on your own system is best if you need to keep note of them.

[Dave22q]

My solution is a memory file with a non descriptive name and disguised passwords such as c-bank1 meaning bank1 password with uppercase first letter (the file does not indicate who is bank 1). The real problem is that too many sites want passwords and a master word makes everything vulnerable. I believe any commercial solution creates a prime hacker target.
The best solution I have seen is Interactive Brokers which in addition to id and password requires you enter 2 codes from your personal card in response to a 2 code challenge. Of course, that is just too much trouble for most applications. When I worked for the state they required password changes ever 3 months which made incorporating the month into the code almost mandatory and it still was a pain..

[Hud3]

I've come up with my own system to create different passwords for each of my accounts that I can easily remember. I've tested them on this free password strength checker, and it says it would take 33 years to crack them.

Give your passwords a check out...

https://password.kaspersky.com/

[liveaboard60]

Originally Posted by hafa

Encrypted password managers are the way to go. Either open source or proprietary, depending on need and preference. I have no idea what any of my passwords are, as they are different for every site and application and are typically 20-30 characters with a mix of entirely random upper and lower-case alpha, numbers and symbols.

Simply copy>paste when you need a password. The manager I use allows for synchronization between Windows and Android, so passwords are also readily available on the phone.

One note about these managers, however: Ensure that you have a program to backup the data file on a daily basis, either to a NAS or the cloud; if your data file is lost, your life will be very unhappy.

I have found great use from the open source password manager known as Password Safe.. I use the PC and Android version, but I would imagine there is a version for Apple.. It allows you have unique passwords for each site you visit, and even change them as often as you really should..

It can be downloaded from the web or the Google Play.. flk k

[nic26]

Hi,
here a method with a very long and even for computers complicated password that you can write down and stick to your computer screen. Sounds strange and unsafe, well have a look.

20 character nasty password: Nj8`G,[mr[-M<t*_vRCW

To use that for the Cruiser's Forum, use the 1. and last letter
plus the number of characters: Cm13

Now combine: Cm13 | Nj8`G,[mr[-M<t*_vRCW

OK?

Another one for, say Google: Ge6 | Nj8`G,[mr[-M<t*_vRCW

How you produce the 1. part is up to you and the only thing you have to remember.

El

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Hud3

I've come up with my own system to create different passwords for each of my accounts that I can easily remember. I've tested them on this free password strength checker, and it says it would take 33 years to crack them.

Give your passwords a check out...

https://password.kaspersky.com/

Yeah, and then the site gets hacked and they have all your tested passwords.

[Perna]

Obviously lots of ways of skinning a cat, (yuck)

I use Axcrypt to encrypt a normal word document which contains all my passwords plus some tricky links to get onto the sites. Not only that but it also contains most other personal information which is a pain to remember, like family passport data (for booking family air tickets), date of births, alarm passwords and instructions, internet banking stuff and so on.

As a further tribute to my paranoia, the stuff in the word file is written half coded so that it only means something to me; noisy being the dog, nippy the cat etc…

Then with one password I can get to all this stuff on any of my devices.

Probably unnecessary but heh, I do it anyway