Password Managers March 01, 2017, 12:25:08 pm It's safe to say that most of you travel with some sort of device which allows you Internet connection. Recently I had been considering subscribing to a password manager to simplify using the million or so passwords I have. That consideration became even more relevant when I left my 2008 MacBook Pro at the TSA checkpoint at the Minneapolis airport last Sat. Fortunately, I had backed it up to an external hard drive 2 days prior and it was password protected. Also, I have activated Find My Mac, locked it down and have changed passwords for the most important sites. As of this writing, I have not heard from TSA Lost and Found that it has been found. Also fortunate is that I was able to migrate all my files, data, etc. to my wife's MacBook Air via the external hard drive.So...tale of woe is over and I'm wondering if any of you uses a password manager such as LastPass or others. If so, would you recommend using a password manager or are there better ways to manage passwords. I know I could look this up on Google (and have), but it's helpful to have input from you friendly Lazy Dazers so as to get real world experiences.If this is a non-interest topic for anyone, please just jump to the next post.Chris
Re: Password Managers Reply #2 – March 01, 2017, 01:30:01 pm I have used 1Password for a few years. It is well integrated into all Apple platforms. I maintain the DB on each device, in the 1Password cloud and on Dropbox. Mine has 320 logins, credit cards and identities. It can be used from any platform, say if you were visiting a trusted relative and wanted to use one of those Windows devices. With its password generator and built in web browser it is easier to update passwords as needed. I have only met one side that is challenging, functionality at Bank of America is limited. But 1Password is still effective to use their proprietary app and copy paste the password into it, just an added step. So far 1Password has not been breached. That can't be said for all password managers. I recommend it.
Re: Password Managers Reply #3 – March 01, 2017, 01:44:41 pm Another vote for LastPass. It's available anywhere and works on any browser and any device.
Re: Password Managers Reply #4 – March 01, 2017, 02:08:14 pm I use a password manager for several reasons: 1) I only have to remember the long password for unlocking it 2) I can have a different password for each site 3) I use it to store other information such as the answers to the password reset questions 4) If the password manager allows, I have the option of storing the encrypted password file so that I can share the file across multiple devices Currently I am using 1password (1Password). I have used KeyPass (http://keepass.info/) in the past. Both worked well. On the topic of passwords -- longer is better (xkcd: Password Strength) Hope this helps David QuoteIt's safe to say that most of you travel with some sort of device which allows you Internet connection. Recently I had been considering subscribing to a password manager to simplify using the million or so passwords I have. That consideration became even more relevant when I left my 2008 MacBook Pro at the TSA checkpoint at the Minneapolis airport last Sat. Fortunately, I had backed it up to an external hard drive 2 days prior and it was password protected. Also, I have activated Find My Mac, locked it down and have changed passwords for the most important sites. As of this writing, I have not heard from TSA Lost and Found that it has been found. Also fortunate is that I was able to migrate all my files, data, etc. to my wife's MacBook Air via the external hard drive. So...tale of woe is over and I'm wondering if any of you uses a password manager such as LastPass or others. If so, would you recommend using a password manager or are there better ways to manage passwords. I know I could look this up on Google (and have), but it's helpful to have input from you friendly Lazy Dazers so as to get real world experiences. If this is a non-interest topic for anyone, please just jump to the next post. Chris2002 30' IB with pull-out dinette --davehrrs@gmail.comDavid Harris 2920 Taper Ave.Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 206-8800
Re: Password Managers Reply #5 – March 01, 2017, 03:52:25 pm Sorry, Chris! It hurts to even think about that loss!
Re: Password Managers Reply #6 – March 01, 2017, 07:45:29 pm I have used Password Safe for five years now, on Windows 7, Android and Apple iOS.Mark H
Re: Password Managers Reply #7 – March 01, 2017, 08:21:04 pm Another 1Password user here. I like it but have no point of reference vs. others as it's the only one I've tried.
Re: Password Managers Reply #8 – March 01, 2017, 10:37:14 pm Oh my -- I feel your pain. As a person who traveled for a living I know just how easy it is to forget something just about anyplace in an airport. Good on you for what you did to keep bad actors out of your private stuff. IMHO data is worth more then the computer. I'm a fan of 1Password. Been a happy user for about 4 or 5 years. Bit of a learning curve but security is never convenient or easy. As an aside I also use a VPN service. My pick is in VNC world is Private Internet Access. They have servers all over the world and they don't keep logs of your personal surfing.
Re: Password Managers Reply #9 – March 02, 2017, 12:42:52 am I like keepass. Keep the files on a Dropbox or similar folder so they are constantly backed up to the cloud. I also use a Evernote for my less risky passwords. I simply keep a list of logins (slightly obfuscated such as "email" instead of the actual email) and password with hints rather than actual values. A hacker would not be able to easily guess the translations if they were to hack into my Evernote account.
Re: Password Managers Reply #10 – March 02, 2017, 06:06:57 am I have used the other mentioned password managers. I have used Dashlane for the last two years and much prefer it.One caution, if you forget your password to access Dashlane, the game is over. There is no reset or recovery. I like that.
Re: Password Managers Reply #12 – March 02, 2017, 11:01:12 am Chris,I've used one for many years on\across my Windows PC's. I agree with what David has said, and use mine in a similar way. I would add that being able to create complex passwords that I don't have to remember, are easy to change, and can be cut and pasted rather than keystrokes to enter when logging in are the most important features of a password manager IMHO. Mine also has a 'virtual keyboard', so I can open the manager without keystrokes as well, only mouse clicks to enter my primary password, which I believe is important when using wi fi in public places. Bill
Re: Password Managers Reply #13 – March 02, 2017, 03:13:11 pm Chris, I forgot to mention, 1Password, on the Apple IOS platforms supports Touch ID login, so your fingerprint opens the app on iPhones and iPads that have that feature. I like that measure of security when I am traveling and don't trust public WiFi.
Re: Password Managers Reply #14 – March 02, 2017, 05:53:02 pm Thanks to all of you who responded. I've reviewed all your suggestions and all of them are highly rated. I decided to go with LastPass, primarily since my son is using it and can help me get comfortable with it. In fact, I have downloaded it and have begun to get used to it.No word on my computer from TSA. At this point, I'm assuming it's been parted out after all my personal info has been harvested for someone's new identity. Come to think of it, who would want a 9 yr old computer? I set Find My Mac to erase everything if it's connected to the InternetThis a fine group. Thanks again for your help.Chris
Re: Password Managers Reply #15 – March 02, 2017, 07:14:07 pm Just an FYI item.You can encrypt your computer hard drive so if it's lost or stolen, it's basically useless to anyone except the NSA or such organizations.Should add that if you have an external drive attached to your computer for backup purposes, you should also encrypt that drive. Ed
Re: Password Managers Reply #16 – March 02, 2017, 09:22:15 pm I don't use a seperate password manager because I've never seen the need for one.Years ago, I started keeping a password protected Word document which is now a 14 character long password protected Pages document. A recent count, just for grins, shows that between the two of us, we have right at 120 passwords. I never use a password twice. Never. The PW's are in alphabetical order in the Pages document so its really easy to just scan the list to find what I need. The Mac Book Pro where the Pages document lives, and the external hard drive used for backup, are both encrypted. In order to access the Pages file I just need to remember two 14 character long passwords. One to open the computer and another to open the password Pages document and there the passwords are in a neat, easy to find order. On our iPads/Phones it's similar. Use the passcode to access the phone then the Pages password to open the Pages document. The iCloud keeps all the different devices in sync. As you recall from the Apple/FBI encounter, an iPhone/Pad has a very robust encryption system should you chose to use it. I do. In addition, you can set your iOS device to delete all data after ten failed attempts to open it. Using just a six digit passcode yields some 46,656 possible combinations.I guess the main reason I don't use a formal PW manager is just the thought of having to enter 120 passwords, one by one by one, hoping that I don't make even one typo in the process. Unlikely for me.So, like with a formal password manager, I need to remember two passwords. One to unlock the device I want to use and then the master Pages document password. Actually, they are also written down and hidden in the basement and in the camper, just in case. Twice I've had a case of brain freeze and had to schlep to the secret place to take a look. As long as either of us can remember the secret place, we'll be OK.To date, the home-brew system has worked just fine.Ed
Re: Password Managers Reply #17 – March 02, 2017, 11:57:50 pm "I guess the main reason I don't use a formal PW manager is just the thought of having to enter 120 passwords, one by one by one, hoping that I don't make even one typo"Ed, it sounds as if you have a good system, and I won't argue with it. But for what it's worth, it isn't necessary to enter all your passwords manually with 1Password (and probably with other password managers). It runs as a browser extension, and when you enter a password it doesn't know (e.g., when logging into Amazon for the first time after installing 1Password, or when creating a new login for a site you haven't used before), it pops up a dialog asking whether you want to add that password to your stored list. In other words, it compiles the list for you as you go along, with no extra effort on your part.It also has a nice feature called "Watchtower" that scans all your stored passwords and displays a list of sites you access that have been password-compromised, meaning that you should change your passwords on those sites. It's a pretty nice utility overall.Again, not trying to change your mind, just mentioning that it's not as hard as it sounds to start using one of these utilities.
Re: Password Managers Reply #18 – March 03, 2017, 07:14:16 am Andy said " But for what it's worth, it isn't necessary to enter all your passwords manually with 1Password (and probably with other password managers). "I didn't know that. Thanks.Ed
Re: Password Managers Reply #19 – March 03, 2017, 12:47:13 pm Two questions for users of the PW managers as part of my investigation of options.1) I have some sites that when you go to log in, require you to enter your user ID on the first page. Once you do that, the site jumps to a second page asking for your password. How do the PW managers accommodate these two page login sites?2) Some sites have a security provision requiring a user to answer questions. Like your mothers maiden name. How do the PW managers answer such questions?ThanksEd
Re: Password Managers Reply #20 – March 03, 2017, 02:25:43 pm In my experience with 1Password, when I open the app, I see a list of sites I visit using passwords. My favorites come up in their own view. I click on the site I want, amataken there. If it is a simple logic page, all values are filled in and away I go. If it is a multi-step login, or the site won't permit 1Password to auto complete, there is a key icon in the 1Password app that I press. It then fills in the necessary fields. Voila, the second page opens and I press the key again, and it fills in those fields. I haven't programmed it to fill in the security questions answers, it has never come up, or I simply answer it manually. I can also copy and paste the information if I want. Also, when on the site 1Password makes it easy to edit and update passwords with randomly generated passwords of whatever complexity you select. I hope this was helpful?
Re: Password Managers Reply #22 – March 03, 2017, 05:28:09 pm Ed, you are very secure. That's way more security than I need. I could care less if someone hacks most of the sites that require login. Accounts with $$$ in them, I am cautious about.Quote from: Ed D. - March 03, 2017, 12:47:13 pmTwo questions for users of the PW managers as part of my investigation of options.1) I have some sites that when you go to log in, require you to enter your user ID on the first page. Once you do that, the site jumps to a second page asking for your password. How do the PW managers accommodate these two page login sites?2) Some sites have a security provision requiring a user to answer questions. Like your mothers maiden name. How do the PW managers answer such questions?1) I only know about Dashlane. I seem to be the only one using it. It handles some, not all, sites with two page login's. It will not fill in the username on my bank's first page, but it will complete the password on the second page. I like that. I can remember my username, but the password changes every six months.2) Dashlane does not handle security questions. And I don't think that it should.
Re: Password Managers Reply #23 – March 20, 2017, 06:43:31 pm As my cell phone rang this morning and I recognized the Minneapolis 612 area code, I thought, "Could it really be...?" and it was --- a very pleasant TSA representative letting me know she had my computer in her possession. I asked her, of course, what took so long for notification (3 weeks ago I left it at the TSA checkout). She replied that the message to me had been lost along with about 200 others and they were just "catching up" after they found the messaging error. TSA is shipping it back UPS at the exorbitant rate of $5.16 (on my cc). Evidently the govt. has a special rate with UPS. I'm mostly pleased to know that my data was not compromised. Tracy told me the best thing travelers can do (other than password protect) is to put an address/phone # sticker on their devices. Not only does it make it easier for TSA and other Lost and Founds, but she said most devices are found by honest folks who want to contact the "loser" folks.I'm going to buy a lottery ticket today.Chris 5 Likes
Re: Password Managers Reply #24 – March 20, 2017, 06:54:04 pm Good news, Chris! Hope all the data is intact and nothing is on it that shouldn't be!
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