Remember the good old days, when you only had one, or two, or three user names and passwords to remember? I do, and I just used the same items for each account. Then, one day, I tried to use my trusty password, but the website insisted on more characters. Hmmmm, what to do? At first, I just added another character, but then, the next website insisted that a number be added; then, an upper-case character... yada-yada-yada.
I've used my dog's name, my first-grade teacher's name, my street address, when I was ten years of age, and other equally brilliant selections.
But, then.. the websites started asking for more characters, more special characters, and more upper case characters. What the hell, I asked... it's my privacy:; I'll use any password that I want! Of course, the websites just sat there, smirking, until I complied with their requirements.
If you've followed in my footsteps, you know just how frustrating it can be. But, wait... There's hope!
First, your browser may offer to save your log-in information. This is OK, for logging in to ActiveRain, or many other, low-security, type websites. For your banking, and other sensitive sites, you need to step up your game.
Second, there are now a variety of password managers out there, that provide high security for your passwords and user names. These operate by storing your passwords in a secure "container," with a single password that lets you access all your securely stored passwords and log-ins.
I started off using an excellent password manager, called RoboForm. Lately, since it is included in Nortone Internet Security, I use Identy Safe, on the Norton tool bar. Identity Safe offers to store your log-in information, can be organized, and is then accessed by your master password. Ah ha! Even I can remember one password!
I now have over 250 password-protected sites. Password hell? Not any more. I escaped!
Comments(4)