Anybody Using a Password Manager?

[Joe Guy]

I'm thinking of switching to a password manager. Some are free and others are not. If I switch, I'll most likely pay for one.

I currently have all my passwords written down in an address book. It has been fine up to this point but I find myself referring to it more as the amount of my passwords keeps growing.

So, my question to everyone is whether or not you use a password manager and why or why not? The internet has quite a few password managers available so I'm curious which ones people here may be using and what's good or bad about them.

Any ideas or thoughts on the subject?

[BoSoxGal]

I’ve been using LastPass for several years. I also have a password manager in the Avast antivirus and security software I use on my laptop. Also utilize the password manager on my iPhone.

Here’s a good article from Avast that discusses what to look for in choosing a password manager - it might be helpful. https://www.avast.com/c-best-password-managers


I have to admit that I have undermined the password managers substantially by creating my own passwords and reusing them across multiple websites. It’s constantly warning me to cut that shit out, but so far I haven’t. Primarily this is because I use multiple devices and don’t have a manager that syncs them - I think LastPass allows this for a small subscription fee, presently I have free access which covers just one device. Autogenerated complex passwords are the best feature of password managers because they are very difficult to hack.

[Scooter]

Is there anything wrong with the password manager built into Google Chrome? It would seem to almost all of those features (no automated password updates and it's not for iPhones, but everything else, I think).

[Joe Guy]

Thanks for the info and comments. Since I use a Windows laptop and a Mac Desktop (and an iPhone & iPad) syncing across OS platforms would be an important feature in my situation. I'd like to use a free Password Manager but I think I'll probably need one with a subscription fee to get the best result... I guess...

P.S. after reading Scooter's post, from what little research I've done, Google's password manager is okay but possibly not as secure as other available options. Don't ask me why. I need to research more...

[ex-khobar Andy]

I use the manager in Safari and for the past few years I have gone with whatever complicated array of letters they suggest.

I do have a question about passwords someone here might be able to answer. For sites where there is no money, no credit card info etc I use pretty weak passwords. Sites like this one, Wikipedia etc. Obviously I don't want anyone breaking into my Amazon or bank or insurance accounts. If I have a vulnerability at (say) Wikipedia does that mean a hacker could get onto my computer through that site and then go somewhere more valuable?

Asking for a friend . . .

[eddieq]

keypass is our "corporate standard" where I work.

[TPFKA@W]

Joe must be a spy, or maybe former KGB. I always suspected as much.

Me, I just create a similar password for everything. I do, however make it pretty challenging. I was at my doctor's office and they wanted me to set up MyChart on my phone. I gave the person helping me my password to be. Think along the lines of Ihatebutterontoastsomakeminedry7786. She said nobody was going to guess my password. I rarely forget that way too.

[ex-khobar Andy]

At work they made us change our pw every month.

Say my address was 1234 Maple.

My pw was always 12maple34 with an upper case letter in Maple according the month.

So Jan was 12Maple34; Feb was 12mAple34; March 12maPle34; Jun 12MApe34; 12MaPle34; Oct 12MAPle; finally Dec 12MAplE34. It was always OKed by the system as a safe pw and IIRC they only checked back that you were not reusing a pw from the last 12 months.

[Joe Guy]

If I have a vulnerability at (say) Wikipedia does that mean a hacker could get onto my computer through that site and then go somewhere more valuable?

Asking for a friend . . .

My unprofessional opinion is no. The only potential problem would be if your example, Wikipedia, suddenly had it's own security flaw that allowed hackers to access your computer rather than your Wikipedia account. But that would be caused by Wikipedia loading something on to your computer, like a virus or malware that allows access your stored passwords and other data.

[Scooter]

At work they made us change our pw every month.

I don't profess to be any sort of expert, but I have read more than once, that if your passwords are strong, haven't been compromised and they aren't used multiple times, then changing them frequently doesn't really add any additional security. If a hacker didn't get ay.*ZUY3\$'w$L4[`Rm this month, then changing it to 3{MYj6`K8u@}$D!(PR<z next month isn't going to reduce the odds of getting hacked.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I keep all mine in a cleverly disguised Word document. Bound to be safe, I reckon.

[Gob]

Joe must be a spy, or maybe former KGB. I always suspected as much.

Me, I just create a similar password for everything. I do, however make it pretty challenging. Think along the lines of Ihatebutterontoastsomakeminedry7786. She said nobody was going to guess my password. I rarely forget that way too.

My baking password is very similar, think; @@11nonsense11@@1898

[Gob]

Joe must be a spy, or maybe former KGB. I always suspected as much.

Me, I just create a similar password for everything. I do, however make it pretty challenging. Think along the lines of Ihatebutterontoastsomakeminedry7786. She said nobody was going to guess my password. I rarely forget that way too.

My banking password is very similar, think; @@11nonsense11@@1898