We’re just gonna say it: Creating strong, complex passwords — and then actually remembering what those passwords are — has become a huge pain in the behind. The well-known advice is that you shouldn’t use the same password for everything because it’s not safe, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying as you’re mentally shifting through every password and password variation you’ve ever created as you try to log into a bank account or online shop.
This warning to use a different password for each site is definitely true though: According to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report, 81% of hacking related breaches involved the misuse of stolen or weak credentials — AKA crappy, overused passwords. And we probably don’t have to tell you this, but having your money or identity stolen isn’t exactly a good time either.
But even if you do manage to come up with Olympic-level strength passwords, remembering your complex, unique passwords for dozens of different sites is nearly impossible, especially when password requirements sound more like the recipe for a potion. Uppercase letter, number, symbol, eye of newt, etc.
So before you know it, you’ve used up your three guesses and you’re locked out because you can’t remember your genius combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. And now you need to create a new amazing password again. So you try something you think you’ll remember and just like that, you get the alert that “new password cannot be the same as old password.”
Enter: password managers. AKA your new best friend to help keep your online accounts safe and keep you from tossing your device across the room every time you need to remember or create a new password.
I installed our new Keeper software (ok the boys installed it and I watched) and it pulled 327 passwords from my previous password keeper (a free one) and whatever else it found in browser saves and what nots. 327 passwords. I knew it was bad, but I had no idea. Naturally many of those passwords have been reused. In fact I have a hit parade of about 5 that get a good workout. (See, I’m just as bad as some of you.)
But I bit the bullet, created a new and unique 12 digit password and am in the process of creating new and unique passwords for all the 327 sites I apparently visit. So far, I haven’t missed a single password login with this installed. Woot! What I love too is now I can have this same feature on my phone and tablet as well. That’s new for me.
Secure and EASY. Yes please! $45.00 per year for Keeper Password