Password management help needed

[Phat Mack]

I'm overrun with internet and application passwords. Some aren't that critical, like those for freebie email accounts. Others are for financial and personal information that could have catastrophic results if they were compromised or fell into the wrong hands.

I tend to re-use passwords for different levels of needed security. I don't know if this is a good idea. Has anyone developed any techniques for generating and securing passwords? I was thinking of creating a plain txt document, logging all my passwords on it, and then zip-encrypting it or pgp encrypting it. However, I don't want to reinvent the wheel--has anyone solved this problem? I don't want to use any security measures with back doors.

[TimM]

If your system is not secure enough to store your password file in plain text, even strong encryption won't help. Of course, you should still use some weak encryption like a passworded zip file.

I was over my dad's the other day, and his machine was massively infected with spyware. While I was scanning with various spyware cleaners, I decided to read some 2+2. As soon as I clicked login, I was not taken to the main page, but instead to an advertisement that said my page would be loaded in a few seconds. Of course, this was a spyware called Midaddle (ads234.com), and it had intercepted not only the URL I was trying to reach, but also my username and password, so that it could pass them along to the correct site once the ad timer ran out.

The point is, if your system were to get hacked, you could be looking at all kinds of more subtle ways of grabbing your passwords, or the password to get at the rest of them, such as keyloggers, screen grabbers, etc. So, don't bother with things like PGP, unless you are going to make securing your system a full time job.

[Phat Mack]

Thanks for your reply. I was concerned about the loss or theft of my notebook when on the road, but hadn't considered the system as a leak. I'll have to give it a lot more thought.

Thanks also to the posters recommending software.

[KingMarc]

You could always use old fashioned paper and pencil, and stick it in your wallet.

[Sarge85]

I was thinking this - then stick it in a safety deposit box.

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

[scotnt73]

[ QUOTE ]
You could always use old fashioned paper and pencil, and stick it in your wallet.

[/ QUOTE ]

thats basically what i do. i have a lockable drawer that my pc is on. i have my passwords locked in it on a piece of paper with numbers next to them. i have a phone book on the desk with the websites that go with the numbers written on a certain page.

sounds complicated. but the only ones i ever have to look up are the ones i havent been on in a while.

[BugsBunny]

Run a good software firewall (Kerio or Zonealarm come to mind) that gives you outbound protection as well as inbound. Get and use the spyware programs (Adaware and Spybot) on a regular basis (as well as a virus scanner) - and make sure you keep the definitions up to date.

If you do that the system will be as secure as realistically possible.

Oh - stop using IE as your browser and Outlook or Outlook Express as your email client. These programs are the normal infection points for anything that may get into your system.

Browser: Use Mozilla/Firefox - it's a better browser in the first place.

Email: Thunderbird or Pegasus Mail

Run windows update on a regular basis.

[BugsBunny]

Password Safe

[Wahoo91]

Key Wallet is the best password management tool that I have used. I have used this for several years now. Everyone I know that has used this has loved it.

Oh, its free....

[jasonHoldEm]

I use Password Safe for storage and encryption and Atory Password Generator to generate strings of random characters (or I just hit the keyboard with my head).

Just remember to make a backup copy of your password safe data file regularly, I fried my drive about six months ago and had to reset ALL of my passwords because I lost the file. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Peace,
J