Keeping track of a zillion passwords and user IDs is a fact of working life, made even more complicated by all the devices we use. Because I work with different clients it’s even harder, because that almost always requires using a lot of secure applications. When I started with my current client, I received a three-page Excel spreadsheet of applications I needed logins for. I tried to make the user IDs and passwords easy to remember, but there were just too many—and each application required different user ID and password conventions. It wasn’t efficient (or particularly safe) to enter login information on the spreadsheet and keep it current and portable—I work on the client’s computer as well as a laptop, and the last thing I need was another password to secure the spreadsheet.
Most of us have probably used sticky notes—in our wallet, taped to a computer or pasted into a notebook—or virtual stickies littering our desktop or smart phone. And we all know that isn’t secure. This problem has even been in the news; one recent story is NPR’s “Prevent Your Password From Becoming Easy Pickings (Or PyPfbEp).”
I solved my problem with two simple solutions.
The first is a password manager or password wallet. These cloud-based apps store login information for all sites or applications and are accessible with one master password. Log in to the wallet app and it does the rest, bringing up the application login screen and autofilling the fields. It increases security, saves time and is easy to use. It’s also portable—because the app is cloud-based, one license covers all your devices, including cell phones.
These apps have been around for several years. There are many to choose from—check out this comparison from TopTenReviews. I use RoboForms: it’s simple and inexpensive at $9.95, and it works on all my devices.
The second solution is choosing a strong master password for my wallet app that I can remember. (Amazingly, the most commonly used password is “123456.” Avoid it.) Experts also say to avoid using actual words and birth dates, among other things. They suggest using the first letters and numbers of a phrase that you will remember. For instance, for “My #2 son’s middle name is Alex” the password would be M#2smniA.
I’m not that technically savvy, and I installed my password wallet in less than 10 minutes. It saves me a lot of time and frustration, plus saving a lot of sticky notes!
