+Lance Ambu Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 I promise to wear a cardigan and slippers and listen to Terry Wogan. Does anyone have a foolproof method of remembering, logins, passwords etc. I have downloaded a password manager and, yes you guessed, I forgot the master password. I am continually devising passwords and user names and scribbling them down on assorted paper and envelopes, even the back of my hand. I then throw out my hand and wash the envelopes. I blame the thread discussing internet security and the likelihood of someone stalking forum users and taking over their life. If such a person exists could they please tell me where I left the keys to my suitcase before next summer. Oh, and I nearly forgot, a foolproof way to manage numerous assorted logins. Thank you, whoever you are It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Quote Link to comment
+Rocky Balboa Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 Hmmmm i've got a thousand things with Passwords and usernames going down too. I have only got a couple of variations and generally I just choose something really hard and use it continuosly. This way, you never forget it, and no one will ever guess it!?! works for me anyway, or perhaps this is actually someone who hacked into my account writing this... Its just a hunt for a lunch box, why be so serious!?! © Dan Wilson - www.Buckscaching.co.uk - Stash Notes, forums & Much more... Quote Link to comment
evilrooster Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 I have one username that I use all the time (except on ebay, where it was taken...I'm thefoulfowl there). I then have a variety of passwords, depending on how secure I want to be. Sites where all I'm doing is making a fool of myself verbally (like this one) get a low-security password. Sites where actual money is involved get their own, more secure passwords, but there are only two or three of those. Work passwords, which change every month, get described (not spelt out) in a silly little alphabet my best friend and I invented when we were fifteen, in my work notebook. I think passwords as such are a temporary thing - our children and grandchildren will probably use some other means of identification, either biometric or something else. Unfortunately, we have to limp along like this... evilrooster http://www.bookweb.sunpig.com -the email of the species is deadlier than the mail- Quote Link to comment
Cholo Posted October 28, 2003 Share Posted October 28, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Lance Ambu: Does anyone have a foolproof method of remembering, logins, passwords etc Thank you, whoever you are It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. If there are flashing lights and you hear a siren, look in the rearview mirror. It will be there, plain as day. Quote Link to comment
The Cuthberts Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Get an old novel that you don't mind cannibalising with at least 26 chapters. Write the URL/Company on the relevant chapter heading page (A=1, B=2, etc) and make up the password from the first word on the page with at least 5/6 letters and the page number itself. Keep the book secret ! Works for me and I'm a sieve-head !! Andy Quote Link to comment
+Paul G0TLG Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 For work, I have a load of password protected stuff and on the "document info" (i.e. the bit you can see without a password), it says something like "Password is xxx's middle name", where xxx is a friend of mine whom no-one from work would know. That way, my password is as secure as it needs to be (mega security isn't necessary on these files), but if I fell under a bus my successor could find it out without too much difficulty. Other than that, I find things like the registration number of my last-car-but-one to be fairly memorable, but not remembered by anyone else. As an aside I used to keep a (password protected) list of all my passwords in my directory on the work computer. IT accidentally lost the list in a server upgrade... Paul A member of the Geocaching Association of Great Britain Quote Link to comment
+stu_and_sarah Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Take a sheet of paper and a business card. Write half of the password on the business card, write the other half on the sheet of paper. Keep the business card in your wallet, and the sheet of paper with your important documents. If you have more than one password, number them on the paper and business card, giving them different numbers. Then keep a 3rd sheet somewhere with your login and the right numbers (in your diary?) Business card: 1 - fgio 2 - r5TT 3 - ot7y Paper: 1 - VVb4 2 - rGGj 3 - qR4w Other paper: Geocaching - stu_and_sarah - 3 1 Puzzle Donkey - stupot - 1 2 www.b3ta.com - stüp0t - 2 3 So my password for Geocaching would be ot7yVVb4. (No... these aren't real - my passwords are harder to guess than these.) I will have a look if my books on the subject have anything to add, tonight. Hope this helps. Stu Quote Link to comment
+Sue and Bernie Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Whow! Far too difficult! Get "Roboform" from: www.roboform.com ...and get on with something more interesting. You do have to remember and use a master password that is enterred on first use each logon but after that the program will fill in all your passwords and forms for you... except for the Nationwide site. They insist on random digits via dropdown boxes from an eight digit password. I back up the (password protected) file of all my logon and stuff to a flash drive and copy them in one go to my laptop too. Easy-peasey! Sue & Bernie Quote Link to comment
+makerofthingsup Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I always use the same name 'Makerofthingsup' and as for the password thing, I tend to use one half of a double thing so it's really easy to remember like 'hardy' or 'cannon' as in Laurel & Hardy and Cannon & Ball Manufacturer of the finest sense for over half an hour Quote Link to comment
Seifer Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I just use the same password and login name on every site I go into, then I always know what to type. On advice for making passwords, just think of a random pronunciable word about 7-10 letters long and remember not to forget it, welk, it's either that or use gator Oh yeah, there is an advantage in using the same info for all sites, you always know that whatever phpbb you are on, you'll always get logged in properly and it won't read the wrong cookie Mike www.ChallengeUltima.co.uk - Rise to the Challenge...C'mon, you know you want to! Quote Link to comment
+stu_and_sarah Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I guess I'm more into security than others - but then again, it is my specialist subject. Of course, discussing your password strategy is almost as bad as giving out your password! Do you know how many people use 'gin' or 'tonic'? Looks like they also go for 'half of a pair' thing. Basically: anything in the dictionary is bad. names are bad. two dictionary words joined together are bad. anything you have to write down to remember is bad. using the same password for all sites is bad. Best bet is an easily memorable word (pet's name?): pookie Plus another word: car Joined together: pookiecar With some letters converted to numbers: p00kiec4r And some random number element, too: p00ki23ec4r Most attack strategies will not find this in a very very long time, yet you still know how to recreate it. I will shut up now, there are plenty of books and websites on the subject. Stu Quote Link to comment
+Pharisee Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Seifer:I just use the same password and login name on every site I go into, then I always know what to type. On advice for making passwords, just think of a random pronunciable word about 7-10 letters long and remember not to forget it, welk, it's either that or use gator Oh yeah, there is an advantage in using the same info for all sites, you always know that whatever phpbb you are on, you'll always get logged in properly and it won't read the wrong cookie Mike http://www.ChallengeUltima.co.uk - Rise to the Challenge...C'mon, you know you want to! Yeah... wot he said... I think John And should you ask, am I at ease there? I'd answer "Yes. Oh yes indeed". For my heart it dwells in lonely places, where springs leap down, where ravens feed. Quote Link to comment
Daft Tart Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I just memorised the automated passeord from a site. It's a mix of numbers and letters and has a good number of characters!!! Daft Tart Quote Link to comment
+Omally Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Being a TYG I always use something easy to remember, like "Coffin-Dodgers-Network" or "Tastes-Like-Chicken". Most sites won't let me use "Ham" though. And if anyone dare try to log in as me, I'll leave an extremely cross note under your windscreen wiper, just see if I don't! Omally Member of the GAGB Quote Link to comment
MikeXV535 Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Instead of internet exploder I use Mozilla which has an inbuilt password remembering thing so I get logged in automatically. Mozilla is also more customisable, faster, and reliable than IE. I could go on and on about its virtues but why not try it out for yourself at www.mozilla.org ? Mike. Quote Link to comment
+Bill D (wwh) Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 Lance, just send them all to me and I'll look after them for you. Seriously, though, I think Stu & Sarah's method is the best way to form passwords. As to remembering them, I keep a file of them all in several, hopefully safe, places. And just have to remember the password for that file... Bill ------------------------------- "Ah, take the Cache and let the Credit go..." The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, trans. Edward Fitzgerald Quote Link to comment
+Team Minim Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 one of the best password strategies I use for secure sites is to think of a phrase which includes a number, suchas "there are 2 cats in our house" the initial letters become the password i.e. ta2cioh If you use the name or detail of your service in the phrase it is easier to remember. e.g and fictitious "I have three accounts in lloyds bank"=ih3ailb For regular forced password changes I use one keyword plus number changes, the number being last month, so it would be eggplant10 this month, you can use a phrase with changing numbers for higher security. Hope this helps. Cache the Bug-Geocaching Quote Link to comment
+Team Minim Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 one of the best password strategies I use for secure sites is to think of a phrase which includes a number, suchas "there are 3 cats in our house" the initial letters become the password i.e. ta3cioh If you use the name or detail of your service in the phrase it is easier to remember. e.g and fictitious "I have three accounts in lloyds bank"=ih3ailb For regular forced password changes I use one keyword plus number changes, the number being last month, so it would be eggplant10 this month, you can use a phrase with changing numbers for higher security. Hope this helps. Cache the Bug-Geocaching Quote Link to comment
+Eckington Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 I might, just might, be tempted to lock this off topicish thread........ ...........but I can't remember my password Quote Link to comment
+stu_and_sarah Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Team Minim:one of the best password strategies I use for secure sites is to think of a phrase which includes a number, suchas "there are 2 cats in our house" the initial letters become the password i.e. ta2cioh ...but you're stuffed if one of them dies. Quote Link to comment
+Pharisee Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Stu & Sarah: quote:Originally posted by Team Minim:one of the best password strategies I use for secure sites is to think of a phrase which includes a number, suchas "there are 2 cats in our house" the initial letters become the password i.e. ta2cioh ...but you're stuffed if one of them dies. Naah.... just get the cat stuffed instead John And should you ask, am I at ease there? I'd answer "Yes. Oh yes indeed". For my heart it dwells in lonely places, where springs leap down, where ravens feed. Quote Link to comment
+Lance Ambu Posted October 30, 2003 Author Share Posted October 30, 2003 Many thanks for all the suggestions. I will be using at least 2 of the strategies - 1 is to split/codify the writing down bit and the other I can't tell you for security reasons My problem was that I used to have a password which I rearanged slighty for different sites but I never remembered which site had which variation, so I ended up typing in 4 or 5 variations of a password coupled with 4 or 5 variations of username, and that resulted in one p1ss3d off Ambu. So if I could only find my "secret agent invisible ink pen" I would have the perfect solution. Thanks again one and all Lance Ambu It's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Quote Link to comment
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