Fri 2008/12/05 16:52
Always love to check out new web2.0 services and do a lot of registrations and signing up but always find myself forgetting the passwords. I do have applications which encrypt and store my passwords but are a pain to open. Been trying to think of an easy way to manage passwords as I (and recommend you to) use a different password/username for every website I use. The reason is that if you use the same combination, all it takes is to have a malicious employee to get hold of your details and gain access to all your other services. For example, 25% of Japanese internet users choose the same password as their username - 87% said they use the same username/password combination for all the different sites they use. if you are doing the same then consider changing the way you choose user/pass combinations before its too late. Read more from this survey at What Japan Thinks. Also from the survey, because most use the same combination, only 9.2 of users said that they frequently forgot their password. And just in case you are wondering - no I cant see your password as its encrypted the moment you register at dc.com.
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Posted on Fri 2008/12/05 16:52 by
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Thu 09/04 13:34 comments (30)
Hmm.. I guess I'll vote for "sometimes" since Firefox does the job ^_^ As for combinations.. They're all the same :X
(ID #399730) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:08
Ehh... I have the same password for all of my sites I visit. A 'malicious employee' could mess my life up pretty badly right now @_@. I'd better go fix that. Thanks Danny---!
(ID #399732) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:09
Network Technician
To be honest I use about 5-6 different passwords that I alternate between ranging from very easy passwords to very difficult password and I use firefox to do any remembering of passwords when I want to access sites quickly, I think in general as long as you have a varied amount of passwords it makes it much more difficult for anybody to cause damage as if they find one pass out they may only be able to access a couple of sites at the most and this saves a lot of hassle with remembering potentially hundreds of passwords unless you use a password manager like firefox of cause.
(ID #399734) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:12
I do the same thing as you. i have 7 different passwords for sites depending on how secure it needs to be like a webhosting account would take the most difficult as well as my e-mail acc's. Things i don't really care about will get the very easy pass. People may think this is stupid but no one knows what sites i go to. i leave no tracks, no links to my other places, nothing that could link me with another site.
(ID #399926) Posted on 2008/12/05 20:48
Pseudo-Graphic Designer
I try to remember all of them... but if I don't go to that particular website for a while, I'd completely forget what it is. I do have a set of password rotation, so if one password doesn't work then it must be the other ones. I have about 3 or 4 password rotation, sometimes a variation on a few of them.
(ID #399735) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:12
Part trooper, part santa, 100% loser
Most of my username and password are the same for the sites I visit...
(ID #399736) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:12
Receptionist/ Accountant/ Junior Designer/ Illustrator
I try to have variation but, it sure is a lot to remember too... ^^;
(ID #399748) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:24
UH OH! I need to do some major username/password changes then >__<
(ID #399751) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:31
Well, I use different user names and pass depending on which site I go...
(ID #399759) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:36
Student and full-time otaku
I've been rethinking changing my passwords and email addresses somewhat, but I've got registrations at so many sites it'll be a pain...now I use the same ones at practically every site orz
(ID #399762) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:37
Some websites I use the same password on, repeatedly. Usually, they're of less importance (I could really care less if someone hacks my MySpace account, for instance). Others (like e-mail), I use a unique password, but rarely change it. And then, there's work. Military requires me to use a new password every three months, with a minimum character requirement and letter/number/symbol requirment. Plus, it can't be a password that I've used within the last 18 months (or be similar to a password I've used). I usually end up writing those passwords down. ^^;
(ID #399767) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:41
You're right Danny but if you don't use any software will be hard to remember. If im using web app firefox will do it for me.
(ID #399783) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:51
I only use the same password on registration sites that don't seem that important to me. Email, DC, etc all have different users/pass. The thing is...I remember them all. =w=''
(ID #399789) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:54
Student, webpenguin/designer, programmer, Mac addict
Firefox's password remembering function does a pretty good job, but as a Mac user I personally use 1Password because it works across Camino, Safari, and Firefox, can store addresses and credit cards and other general passwords too, has a built in password generator, and is just all-around full of awesome. I think it's $30 or so, but a good investment.
(ID #399791) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:56
Student, webpenguin/designer, programmer, Mac addict
By "works across" I mean it puts a toolbar button in these and several other browsers, that brings up a menu with stored passwords for the site you're on and the option to go to and automatically log in to any of the sites you have passwords stored for. It also automatically asks you if you want to save new passwords; no (or at least very little for basic use) having to open and switch between different programs to save and fill in passwords or having to keep them manually up to date across multiple browsers. (Only "downside" is it's Mac-only, but if you only use Macs you should be fine :P)
(ID #399793) Posted on 2008/12/05 17:59
1Password is awesome, truly :)
(ID #400237) Posted on 2008/12/06 01:31
I too use 1password its really a great program!
(ID #400253) Posted on 2008/12/06 01:58
王オタク ｘ 天才様
I tend to use easy passwords for sites and services I wouldn't care people having access to, like random forums and random web games. If it's something important, or something to do with finances or business information, I have a lengthy complex string for password that varies from site to site, and sometimes even username. I remember those since I can't trust any sort of program to "secure" them anyway -_-
(ID #399799) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:04
I have over 70 usernames and passwords. to my shame I have to admit I had to write them down, especially some that I only use once a month. I tend to be reluctant with having the web browser remember my passwords as other people sometimes use my laptop which if they leave it alone for more then 5 minutes also locks up :-)
(ID #399806) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:09
I'm using the same password in almost every site that I have registered to. Because this way is way more easy to have one to access all. I think I better go and change it right now a malicious employee is a no-no for me.
(ID #399808) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:11
freelancer, Spanglish speaker
I use different user/passwords for university services, gmail,hotmail, Internet account, wireless, linux and windows, etc, too many passwords to remember, so frequently forgot a few, and find myself scratching my head and trying to remember the user/password >.<.
(ID #399817) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:23
Fresh Diploma Grad... enlistee.. soon
I have a few passwords... and i use them according to importance... if needed to i would also made a few out that is similar but very different in some sense... haha...
(ID #399829) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:39
I try to use different username and password combination for different sites but not really different ones for every single site. Maybe like 3-4 combinations for all of the sites that I visit.
(ID #399830) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:41
Professional Bum
I often use the same password, but mix it up with a few different variations I have set. This way If I forget a password, i just need to run it a few times with some altercations to the pass. like password password55 pa55word pasSworD. for example. thats not to say i don't use something completely different now and again. A lot of questionable sites will always be something completely different ( like private game servers)
(ID #399831) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:44
I have different passwords for stuff, but I write them down somewhere...there's also a program called keepass my friend uses that's pretty good at organizing passwords, but have yet to try it myself...
(ID #399833) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:44
Student
I'm not a good memorizer. I even forgot to write it down in a paper in some occasions. LOL That's why, as possible, same combination I will use but with the latest protections installed. At the same time, I decide wisely whether to be part of a site or not, because I know, I'm pretty vulnerable.
(ID #399836) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:51
Passwords are one of my pet hates at work, as my job means having to use a variety of equipment each controlled by a PC with its' own login codes - who else is going to use them??. The company workstations require you to login three times to use the software required to do the job (including Lotus Notes), but if the passwords are different, it will set them all to be the same! This is from a company who insist that everyone attend an 'IT Security Seminar' on an annual basis. I don't think they have realised the full definition of 'security' yet...
(ID #399838) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:54
College Student
I tend to use the same password for different categories. Other times not. I'm getting used to putting numbers in as well. I keep my passwords encrypted in case i forget.
(ID #399839) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:55
former Emperor of Britannia
I've forgotten a total amount of 5 email passwords and 3 blog related accounts and 3 online game accounts T_T I use different passwords and keep them in a notebook with lock. I carry the keys to it all the time.
(ID #399843) Posted on 2008/12/05 18:59
As you are a Mac lover as I am, I really recomend you 1password, it is an incredible aplication for our macs and iphone/itouch that syncs all the information and is really cheap and useful. That way you can generate aleatory passwords and check them later or use them directly from Safari, Firefox...
(ID #399845) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:03
Security
i have passwords i remember in my head my hardest ones are passwords with a bunch of numbers and letters example: 554c814333 my easier passwords i use for sites i don't care much about are Example: Kazooie or Goldania none of these are legit passwords just examples. i prefer my hard passwords since they are easier then words to remember they are like phone numbers you should try making passwords like that you will feel safer and won't forget so much
(ID #399863) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:18
Actually, I have a simple secret algorithm that uses the URL of the website to come up with a unique password for the site. As an example (no, this is not the algorithm I use), take the first letter or number of the URL, then capitalize it if it is a .com address, lowercase if it is anything else + number of letters in domain name + "W" if there is www in front of URL + "pi" + 4 digits of pi if the domain has even number of letters, or 6 digits of pi if domain has odd number of letters. So the password for www.dannychoo.com would be: "D10Wpi3141". It sounds complicated, but I find that I end up remembering the actual string for websites I go to a lot anyway. If that's too hard, I hear that 1password is an excellent program for keeping track of passwords on a Mac.
(ID #399869) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:23
Of course, I would go and make a calculation error: www.dannychoo.com would actually be "d9Wpi314159" -_-;;
(ID #399871) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:25
Unemployed, boooo
I have about 4 different passwords that I use generally. Usually though I only use different passwords for paypal, amazon and similar online services that store my card details.
(ID #399876) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:31
Uhh... oh wow... I never really thought about this before... I always use the same username and password for any website... But well, since for now, none of the websites i visited could harm em in any way even if the password is broken, i think it's fine... Well, maybe some cyber bully, but who would be so sad to pick on me, right? Different case for e-mail tho, the address and password are different to websites that i register to.... But same address and password among all my e-mails.
(ID #399877) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:34
I use the same dummy password for occasional website registration and record the important passwords in a safe place, maybe in a coded notebook (a real notebook made in paper I mean).
(ID #399880) Posted on 2008/12/05 19:39
it just becomes more and more difficult as one starts to register up for sites that someday they might continue using. and then there is this whole conflict of having your username/passwd combo stored on a file in your PC and then have it disappear by accident or copy by another person. writing it down doesn't helps as well so might as well register to a limited amount of sites that i am fond of and go on from there.
(ID #399893) Posted on 2008/12/05 20:04
student
lol i always have trouble after i format my computer coz firefox lost my passwords XD usually use the same password/username for everything too. except for online banking and ebay... stuff that concerns money XD
(ID #399896) Posted on 2008/12/05 20:09
when it comes to forum/sns sites I tend to just use the same one password. But more important things like bank accounts, emails, ftps etc. use different passwords.
(ID #399909) Posted on 2008/12/05 20:32
resident caffeine junkie
the passwords i often forget of journals or random sites i rarely visit but had to register.
(ID #399945) Posted on 2008/12/05 21:01
I was thinking "Oh shi.. Has Danny seen my password?" until I see the line "And just in case you are wondering - no I cant see your password as its encrypted the moment you register at dc.com." since its so damn lame =/
(ID #399964) Posted on 2008/12/05 21:16
student
Only for important stuff I will use different username and passwords. But when it comes to like registering for websites to gain access to stuff I will use the same username and password. Just to make things easier if I ever need to re-visit that site again.
(ID #399989) Posted on 2008/12/05 21:45
well since i'm a daigakkusei it is not that important if i use the same username and password, but maybe later on i'll consider changing them
(ID #400013) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:06
Student - CCNA
i have 1 base password - all numerical - 13 digits with around 14 permutations of it that i can easily remember im a bit of a personal security freak ^^"
(ID #400046) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:23
Student - CCNA
and all my passwords can be punched out in about 3secs - limits the probability of random persons eyeing me when i tap it in, but the major drawback is that i need a numeric keypad What's funny is that i actually don't know the exact numbers for my passwords since i've deliberately made it 2nd nature/muscle memory for each permutation
(ID #400056) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:29
I have one "basic" password taht i use for every "not important" websites. And I have one password for every other account like gmail, my linux, my windows, my firefox, my school account...Etc. In my school if you use the same password everytime someone will find it and stole your account to send mail to people in the school saying things that put shame on you.
(ID #400052) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:27
System Design Engineering (UWaterloo)
I use two 'common' passwords and another two other passwords are for school use only. Usually the two common passwords are just an addition of letters/alphabets from the simplier one ^_^
(ID #400067) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:34
It seems we almost use the same philosophy all over the world: the same dummy username/password for forums or websites, different and maybe difficult usernames/passwords for serious stuff (bank account, workstation, etc) :D
(ID #400073) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:42
Student & Game Designer
well you can see our passwords if you decrypt a specific one... I use similar name and pw most of the time but everything important like online bank account and paypal is different of course
(ID #400080) Posted on 2008/12/05 22:52
TK-8316 / 宅男 Otaku / 工程师 Engineer
usually the cookies will save my login and password so i don't have to login all the time. if there's a need for login, i'll usually use a common password. ya i know it's dangerous but my password is pretty hard to guess. no one will ever know i'm using "ilovebardpitt". ^^;
(ID #400087) Posted on 2008/12/05 23:04
i use various same usernames and passwords for diferents reasons, like in a forums, blogs, online games. but for account whit money reason i use various diferent combinations.
(ID #400112) Posted on 2008/12/05 23:20
Senior Software & Systems Developer
I had the same problem some time ago and started searching for a solution. I found that the best thing is to do is use a password manager to keep track of all of the passwords. I currently use KeePass and all of my passwords are unique, expires regularly and looks like this: c_1oARiWP9/*Q'n5#rEd KeePass stores the passwords in an AES 256 bit encrypted database and can also handle additional fields such as a URL, comment, expiry date or you can attach a file. One really nice feature is that the database is cross-platform, be it win, Linux, OS X or j2me on your mobile phone. So far I have more than 130 entries in mine for work alone. http://keepass.info http://www.keepassx.org PS. If anybody wonders why I have so many passwords it's partly because I am the Senior Software & Systems developer and have to keep track of every password used by every application on every system.
(ID #400127) Posted on 2008/12/05 23:33
College student, Software Engineer, Otaku
voted hardly since I either have my password saved in an encrypted file or I just plain remembers it. the only time I forget my password is when I don't use the login for a long time.
(ID #400139) Posted on 2008/12/05 23:50
I use the same username but different passwords on all the sites I visit. No trouble memorizing them. :P
(ID #400141) Posted on 2008/12/05 23:51
I use something like 10 differents words and make pairs of them when i need a new password. The better way I found to don't forget is to writte them (site/username/password)on a paper sheet hided in my room
(ID #400180) Posted on 2008/12/06 00:41
i make do with a couple, but it's a pain to remember them all at once....
(ID #400201) Posted on 2008/12/06 00:52
I use Passpack. Secure and easy way to store all your passwords online (I can reach them from any web browser) and with a one-button login so I don't have to type the passwords. This means I can use different, at least 30 character long passwords on all sites. To me it feels safe and recommend it. :)
(ID #400234) Posted on 2008/12/06 01:29
i just have the same passwords for everything since nothing is important.
(ID #400238) Posted on 2008/12/06 01:32
university film student
I only use two, two sets of usernames and passwords to tell the truth, but I mix 'em a bit so it's the same numbers and letters in different orders. I don't really have anything that needs to be all that secure yet.
(ID #400249) Posted on 2008/12/06 01:55
Software Developer / Programmer
Well, I used to have an app that kept all my passwords, but i ditched it. Decided to use the same password for forums, community websites, etc. and then use a really complicated one for stuff like windows login, and other really important passwords. Dont care if someone has like my DC password, cause all they will be able to access is my social sites, etc.
(ID #400252) Posted on 2008/12/06 01:57
I have a few different passwords I randomly use. So if it's not one of the five or so passwords I use, I have no clue what it is...
(ID #400277) Posted on 2008/12/06 02:26
Otaku / Student in Computer Science
sometimes, only a website that I'm not going often
(ID #400284) Posted on 2008/12/06 02:34
nanu (Registered on 2007/12/28 22:28)
I save my passwords in a text file then occasionally make the effort to write them down on paper just to lose those ^^;
(ID #400285) Posted on 2008/12/06 02:34
Yes, holding your passwords safe and secure but in an easy place to find for yourself is not a simple task.
(ID #400302) Posted on 2008/12/06 02:51
Student & Authorized Chicken Slapper
Well I use 4 different username and pw combination and my pw are at least 8 characters with alphanumeric combos involved. Not too worried I guess, if someone finds out, worst case scenario they gain access to 1/4th of my shit, you know unless they were stalking my ass and found all 4.
(ID #400327) Posted on 2008/12/06 03:12
I use about 15 passwords and combinations thereof, depending on the type of website. Sometimes I end up forgetting them since Firefox just remembers it for me.
(ID #400345) Posted on 2008/12/06 03:42
I only have a hand full of passwords. Certain ones for critical info like bank accounts and ones for things that don't matter like forums and such.
(ID #400353) Posted on 2008/12/06 03:56
I use different password n user name for all logins. Do have a writen down kept some where safe. Dont keep a digital one. Dont use brower to remember it for me also. Prefer to punch it in everytime so I will remember it.
(ID #400360) Posted on 2008/12/06 04:01
I guess thats one thing I like about the "Password Safe" in the blackberry! Store all user name and passwords and refer to them anytime, just don't forget the password to the Password safe LOL
(ID #400418) Posted on 2008/12/06 05:24
I have about 3 different password combos, which are usually slightly altered when I register somewhere new. When I use a totally different password I just write it on a little sticky note, which I end up losing in less than a day.
(ID #400428) Posted on 2008/12/06 05:40
Considering the ridiculous number of things I have signed up for on the Internet, keeping the same username/password combination is the only way I can keep up. Seriously, I would lose my head if it weren't so attached to my neck.
(ID #400436) Posted on 2008/12/06 05:58
Scientist, unemployed.
I use Mozilla's SeaMonkey suite, and it usually remembers the passwords for me. There are a few times where I have to re-enter things (Like when I run CCleaner and f