"Password." Whispers. "Please."
Password? Rummaging around in my mind, I dredged up, from the sea of passwords milling about in there, the one word that would allow me access to the headquarters of the Fun Five. It took a minute. There are a lot of passwords milling about in there these days, talking amongst themselves (without even having yet introduced the idea of the family password).
Finally, I came up with it and conducted my business with relative aplomb. It reminded me, however, that my password life is becoming more complicated. I used to have one that I used for pretty much everything. Then I read somewhere that that was a dumb idea. Not only did my one password have no numbers or symbols or hashtags or anything to complicate it, making the whole thing pretty easy to crack, but once it was cracked, my whole life was wide open.
So I began mixing it up. And I now have an array. Which is all well and good - except when I have to actually log in to something. The time spent going through the various combinations of password/email options, trying to remember which one goes with what website/account/social media outlet, is time that could be spent much better in any number of other places. I can vouch that my security is getting better - I can't even get into half of my accounts myself.
I read that I could get myself a Password Safe or Password Keeper. One handy, highly encrypted spot in which to store all my passwords. Imagine. I could just look them up and never forget one ever again. But then I got to the fine print. Said Password Safe requires one master password to unlock it. Imagine. I'd forget that and my whole life would remain highly encrypted forever.
[image: the boys' clubhouse looks nothing like this amazing print from sarahkhomemade/etsy]
I thought I was doing ok with my password system and then recently read a post about all these blogs getting hacked and how you should change the password every week.
ReplyDeleteEvery week!
Forget it. Or you should use £ $ and. & within the word...help.
It's password mania.
ReplyDeleteI'm so safe and savvy that I have usernames & associated passwords sticky noted all around my PC monitor.
A few years ago, just a couple of pin numbers and a video store password were too much to handle (yet, anyone's and everyone's number plates were a breeze?!)
:-)
Ain't it the truth. I blogged on the same thing in April
ReplyDeletehttp://joeh-crankyoldman.blogspot.com/2011/04/and-password-is.html
Hahaha, this is wonderful Allison. I am SHOCKING at remembering passwords for all the different memberships and loyalty programmes etc etc... Sometimes I really do fluster myself, because like you have mentioned here, it's just plain time consuming to have to reset them and have them verified, blah blah blah.
ReplyDeleteAgain I will be doing the password jig when I return to work in a couple of weeks. At my work, you almost need a password to get to your password, it's ridiculous. And as I have been on mat leave for over a year... they will ALL require resetting. Joy!
I use just a couple of passwords....I've had the same pin number for 20 years. they need to develop retinal scanners for our computers, certainly before I get any older.....my memory is slowly turning to garbage
ReplyDeleteMy hotmail got hacked once. With the once size fits all password that I had.
ReplyDeleteever since then I have been a bit anal and changed all my passwords to something different.
They do have a theme though - something a little random than my childrens names - so I can remember them....
But between work and home and the entry code for the kindy gate, I feel like I'm drowing in scrambled numbers and letters...
I've got 2 password tricks.
ReplyDeleteThe same one for everything related to online shopping and an app on my iPhone to store the work ones.
Have a great weekend, Allison.
SSG xxx
Sydney Shop Girl blog
That happened to me the other day with some children staying in the B&B who wouldn't let me through the front door. I joined in the game of trying to guess at their special password until I gave up and pleaded: "Please, please let me though!" The kids all beamed and clapped and stood aside. You guessed it - the secret password was "please". Der! xxx Kate
ReplyDeleteI read about blog hacking at Digital Parents this week. I try to mix up my passwords but life has enough numbers and secret words to remember already. Before kids, I didn't seem to have problems remembering them. The other day I went blank at the checkout when asked to put in my pin. The numbers flew out of my head and have not yet returned. Perhaps the ATM machines will consider a secret knock system instead?
ReplyDeleteFor under $1 you can buy yourself a little notebook, and write all the passwords, usernames and account details in it.
ReplyDeleteThen KEEP IT SOMEWHERE SAFE. You can cover it and label it with something innocuous so no-one is interested in reading it.
Writing them down means you can mix your paswords up and make them as outrageous as you like.
I gave up long time ago trying to remember passwords and did as Toni suggest and got myself a little black password book. Now the only problem is that I sometimes forget where I have hidden it. :D
ReplyDeleteToni and Nita have a good idea there, buy a small notebook and write down your passwords and maybe what they're for, but please, don't put any account details in there.
ReplyDeleteFor instance>
xxxxxxx--home
xxxxxxx--work
xxxxxxx--bank
but don't mention which bank or where you work etc.
with my memory??? i would be forever locked,like a prisoner of my own amnesia! hahaha
ReplyDeletefab. post and lovely blog by the away!
hugs
lila
That is so funny. I have the same problem! (Getting into my kid's club houses and my computer!)
ReplyDeleteI loathe passwords. They are the bane of my existence. I figured that the only thing I really care about protecting is my money and facebook (in case someone mean decides to hack into me and make me say mean stuff) - so special encryption required for these things, but otherwise... one password for all stupid services. Who cares if someone cracks wide open my Toys Paradise account? My registration at pinterest? My recipe password at AWW? I mean, really? The things you need a bleeding password for anyway!! x
ReplyDeleteI've had a terrible time with this. I always believed that whatever combination I came up with I would remember it. Well after I got locked out of online banking, and couldn't online bill pay my credit cards because I couldn't access them, I realized I had a problem. I've started keeping a tiny address book that has addresses, phone numbers, and login/password combinations for everything that I access online. I know they say its not safe to write it down but that's it nothing else has worked. And sometimes I don't even remember to write it down and have to kick myself later when I'm having the password emailed to me to reset it to get into the account.
ReplyDelete