Password Management?

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Author Message David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1049 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 12:47 pm:    How do you guys manage your passwords? It seems like nowadays I have about 50 passwords for things like stores, banks, forums, etc. I can't remember my own cell phone number let alone 50 passwords. Help! Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 887 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 12:54 pm:    I've chosen a theme/sequence of letters that is meaningful to me (the alpha portion) and vary the numerical portion according to tne month and year. Then all I have to remember is when I signed up! And if it's less important (no security/identification theft involved), I use something silly like "password"... Christopher E. Grimm, CSI, CCS, LEEDŽ-AP, MAI, RLA Senior Member Username: tsugaguy Post Number: 209 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 01:03 pm:    I do very similar to Lynn, only I would forget the month & year so it is more alpha-based relative to the website, with some #'s mixed in. No matter how consistent you try to be though there are always some websites that have exacting rules that require at least one symbol, or not to exceed a rediculously short length, or something. So a password vault type of system might be good to use to record them somewhere. I found one for Windows Mobile that works well, that is a plain text data system for any secure info. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 12:51 pm:    Check out RoboForm for most browsers: http://www.roboform.com/ I use Firefox, though, and the 'Secure Login' plug-in makes it a breeze. David Axt, AIA, CCS, CSI Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1050 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 01:20 pm:    Lynn, I agree with you. Passwords for things like my timesheet I use "Password" or the name of the company. Who is going to hack into my timesheet? But for things like on-line banking, Ebay, Amazon, etc. I need to find a secure password that I can remember. I am trying to invent some sort of code that I can figure out the password if I don't remember. Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 994 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 01:41 pm:    Try your registration number followed by "ra" [as in registered architect] to add some alphas-- that pretty unique to you. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 888 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 02:04 pm:    Good idea, Ralph. Especially if your number isn't readily available to non-members. If it's only available to members, at least you can narrow down the thief's identity. I also substitute numbers for look-alike letters (4 for A, 0 for o, 5 for s and so on); that makes the variations more interesting. But in order to be inconsistent and unpredictable, the only thing is to keep a record someplace. Someplace secure. Like on a thumb drive that you (1) won't ever loose and (2) is accessible only by ....a password! John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1051 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 02:58 pm:    I use the RFID chip embedded under the skin in my right hand that I can just pass over the scanner in my keyboard, combined with a retinal scan from my webcam. I don't have to remember anything! (if only) Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEEDŽ AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 889 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 02:59 pm:    "I don't have to remember anything"...Now if only that would work for the rest of life... Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 995 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Thursday, June 04, 2009 - 03:16 pm:    With John's hidden chip, if he is ever lost, a vet can scan the chip to find his "owner"! Tim Werbstein, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: tim_werbstein Post Number: 8 Registered: 09-2006 Posted on Friday, June 05, 2009 - 07:41 am:    I have a notebook on my desk clearly labeled "TIM'S SECRET PASSWORDS." Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 44 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Monday, June 08, 2009 - 01:21 pm:    I use a little program called AnyPassword available for free at anypass.com. All I did was download and install on my flash drive and it goes anywhere with me. One nice feature is that it will generate a hardened password if you want. Vivian Volz, RA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: vivianvolz Post Number: 120 Registered: 06-2004 Posted on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 02:05 pm:    I try to use something that isn't part of the public record, and I try to use variations on just a couple of passwords. So anything financial has one password, anything social has another, and so on. I have a goofy but fairly secure password I call my "joiner" password that I use for all those things that require a password for no good reason, like WR Grace's web site (Why??). And I have a standard plan for misspelling words. Still, sounds like Richard Rosen's plan is both more secure and easier. By the way, your registration number fails the "not in the public record" rule. In California anyone can find my license number if they know my name. I went and got it on my iPhone one day while filling out a job application! John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1062 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 - 05:14 pm:    WR Grace was in our office last week for a lunch and learn. They told us they recently got rid of their sign-in requirement. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 32 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Friday, July 31, 2009 - 02:46 pm:    I just came across an informative Microsoft page about creating passwords that I thought I'd "pass" along: http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Saturday, August 01, 2009 - 11:02 am:    Can anyone give me a reason for having 50 separate passwords? I am concerned and take great precautions for banks and financial institutions, or but why should I be "that" concerned about who gains access to non financial sites? Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 49 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - 07:58 am:    Unregistered is correct. One of the problems I have experienced is that the username I select is already taken and the site won't accept it, then I have to select another one. My email address would be unique but I don't want to use it unless absoloutly necessary. For non-critical sites I use the same password but often have a different username. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 888 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - 01:06 pm:    I've used my childhood address and phone numbers for passwords -- unless someone finds my elementary school records, these letter/number combinations aren't part of my current life, or readily available to anyone. And, since they were the first phone number and address I ever memorized, both of them are pretty easy for me to remember.