lets talk password security ...

[The Duke]

I have been pondering stepping up all my passwords to something crazy hard, but would need a program or document to remember them.

I was think about using something like, KeePass to do this with.

My only things are:
1) I would need to be on main PC with KeePass or carry a thumb drive with KeePass and my key file on it.
2) It seems like a lot of work going to it every time. Plus if you use it and then auto save the password so you don't have to type it in every time, if your computer gets compromised they can find that data easily.


So what are your feelings on this heightened security measure?

[Neuromancer]

Good for corporate accounts, overboard for the average joe.

Remeber that, most passwords are not restricted to a alphanumeric system, you can add characters and even ASCII codes. For instance..


Alt+255 = space, even when a space cannot be used in password

There are tricks, my passwords are usually randomly generated and I keep them written down till I memorize them. Adding symbols were I see fit.


Having said that, you do not want to have an incredibly hard password to type if you are going to be using it non-keyboard things, like a smartphone or a Wii. (I need to change my Home PC passwords, as my shares use them and its a pita punching them in with a remote control LOL)

[spooony]

I have been pondering stepping up all my passwords to something crazy hard, but would need a program or document to remember them.

I was think about using something like, KeePass to do this with.

My only things are:
1) I would need to be on main PC with KeePass or carry a thumb drive with KeePass and my key file on it.
2) It seems like a lot of work going to it every time. Plus if you use it and then auto save the password so you don't have to type it in every time, if your computer gets compromised they can find that data easily.


So what are your feelings on this heightened security measure?

use the last pass firefox add on. Your passwords are encrypted and saved on their servers. It also got build in password generators and logs you in automatically into your sights. You can install firefox on a other pc or you can format your pc you don't loose anything. All you do is install firefox/opera/chrome and the last pass add on you log in and wolla all your passwords are there. You can even use your phone to log into their server and retrieve your passwords or look up your history that way. Its a brilliant add on a must have

[The Duke]

hmmm the firefox add on seems pretty sweet. I will look into that

[Archer]

I dont bother. I think of it this way: If someone wants my info or PW bad enough they will get it; encryption be damned. Every day security is circumvented and it costs a lot of money (spent by the big boys) to keep things tight and they still cant do it.

For me a PW needs to be simple and easy for me to remember. Unless you have a reason to worry about being a target you should not worry about it and if you are a target there is nothing that can be done to stop them from cracking your PW.

[Neuromancer]

I use opera synch, but it does not store passwords. (just bookmarks, notes, history and stuff like that) Wonder if they have any intention of adding that...

I move my cookies and passwrods from PC to PC by copying the cookies and Wand files from my profile.

[Enigma8750]

RoboForm has a Password Generator that does well and it is totally configurable to do alpha, Alpha'numeric or even Omni Key driven. Great little program.

http://www.roboform.com/

It is also said that using Password programs like this mess up Key loggers.

[spooony]

I dont bother. I think of it this way: If someone wants my info or PW bad enough they will get it; encryption be damned. Every day security is circumvented and it costs a lot of money (spent by the big boys) to keep things tight and they still cant do it.

For me a PW needs to be simple and easy for me to remember. Unless you have a reason to worry about being a target you should not worry about it and if you are a target there is nothing that can be done to stop them from cracking your PW.

good luck breaking that encryption. It will take the fastest super computer running 24/7 a few hundred years to break it.

[BoT]

Password Safe is what i use and like. it's a bit like KeePass
http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/

it's free, it's good in generating random passwords including complexity requirements, it's stores them in it's own extension file, portable, no install required (all you need is the .exe file and the database), allows to auto copy/paste with double click, can also store extra info/ notes, can auto login like roboform, can save and open the website for the login, backup, restore backup, import, export, history, reports, add custom run command, etc
you name it

[Archer]

Graphics processors can speed up password cracking by a factor of 50 to 100 over general purpose computers. As of 2011, commercial products are available that claim the ability to test up to 2,800,000,000 passwords a second on a standard desktop computer using a high-end graphics processor. [3] Such a device can crack a 10 letter single-case password in one day. Note that the work can be distributed over many computers for an additional speedup proportional to the number of available computers with comparable GPUs.

Glad I use PW like ñk®i©sÐsžmÃyõa²s£sÖ read between Got to love ascii. This gives a lot of room I mean 18 characters that are 50% random with over 100 more chars to choose from.

[spooony]

Supercomputers are made out for a lot of gpus btw coz that where teraflops have a meaning in parallel computing.