Password manager

[Donald]

I have been a loyal user of LastPass for many years. Maybe a decade. Share passwords between phone and laptop.

A recent article suggested 1Password is now better than LastPass. And remember LastPass has had two breaches.

Anyone have opinions one way or the other?

 

[JC1]

Given the amount of breaches in some of the software out there and the amount of weak passwords used by some people, I don't trust anyone else to manage my passwords.

 

[Rand]

whats a good free one.. 3$ month for a password manager seems kinda high.

 

[Donald]

Given the amount of breaches in some of the software out there and the amount of weak passwords used by some people, I don't trust anyone else to manage my passwords.

How does one manage unique 20 char passwords for 20 websites without a password manager?

 

[JC1]

How does one manage unique 20 char passwords for 20 websites without a password manager?

I've got them written down in a small notebook. Yeah if there is a fire then I'm screwed, but I'd rather take that chance given the options to have people access my information and possibly make a mess of things.

Let's face it, a lot of companies really aren't going to easily help you if your accounts have been compromised.

 

[alarmguy]

I have RoboForm, paid something like $50 for 3 years, been so long I forget.
Its been good, certainly convenient.

 

[supton]

How does one manage unique 20 char passwords for 20 websites without a password manager?

Right now I have an Excel sheet. Not sure that is the best method either. A fireproof box with a notebook is probably best. Still annoying though, quick check and I seem to have accumulated some 50 different logins to various sites.

Someone in IT at work shared an article with me that said the best passwords were actually sentences. Something like "My dog Rover died when he was 18." Easy to remember because it's not random, yet it hits most or all of the requirements of a strong password. I have not been able to use that but I've been wondering if that won't be usable in the future. Not sure if that can't simplify this problem for me--or if it'll make it worse, having to remember 50 different sentences...

For now I just copy and paste out of Excel--too many breaches for me to have any trust in any service out there.

 

[JC1]

I'm sure there will be a day when most websites will force 2 step authentication for all logins. For now, I just make sure that I use different strong passwords for each different site, and make sure to change it often.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Same here and has worked for many years.

Right now I have an Excel sheet. Not sure that is the best method either. A fireproof box with a notebook is probably best. Still annoying though, quick check and I seem to have accumulated some 50 different logins to various sites.

Someone in IT at work shared an article with me that said the best passwords were actually sentences. Something like "My dog Rover died when he was 18." Easy to remember because it's not random, yet it hits most or all of the requirements of a strong password. I have not been able to use that but I've been wondering if that won't be usable in the future. Not sure if that can't simplify this problem for me--or if it'll make it worse, having to remember 50 different sentences...

For now I just copy and paste out of Excel--too many breaches for me to have any trust in any service out there.

 

[BravoDosCero]

KeePass user for years here. Local copies of my database, storing on a different media the key file needed to open it in combination with a master password I never shared, nor written.

When I want to generate a password, my techique is to use a sentence from a movie, a quote from a book, changing uppercases and lowercases, getting some numbers/strange characters instead of letters.

 

[uc50ic4more]

I tried using this tabula recta technique (for storing unique passwords offline) a while ago but gave up quickly. https://lifehacker.com/how-to-write-down-and-encrypt-your-passwords-with-an-ol-5715794

I use LastPass these days.

 

[Rick505]

I've used LastPass and now mostly using BitWarden. It's free and open-sourced but you can also pay $10/yr for Premium Features.

 

[Carmudgeon]

whats a good free one.. 3$ month for a password manager seems kinda high.

Try KeePass. It's open source, cross-platform, and uses a common database format. And, importantly for an open source project, there is a steady development effort supporting it.

If you have a Mac, KeePassXC is better then KeePassX.

 

[Rand]

I need something that works good on android(form fill etc), and PC.
currently paying for lastpass which isnt terrible.. but maybe not the best option either?

 

[alarmguy]

I need something that works good on android(form fill etc), and PC.
currently paying for lastpass which isnt terrible.. but maybe not the best option either?

RoboForm - https://www.roboform.com

Is all formats - I use it on Android, PC, iPhone and Mac, nice having it available anyplace I am, work, home, vacation and any device I have with me.

 

[Pew]

I used to write them down, until I accidentally tossed the paper. Whoops.

I currently use LastPass but all my passwords is based off a mathematical equation and words - and the complexity of the passwords depend on what website.

 

[uc50ic4more]

RoboForm - https://www.roboform.com

Is all formats - I use it on Android, PC, iPhone and Mac, nice having it available anyplace I am, work, home, vacation and any device I have with me.

Good call! A big advantage over LastPass is that Roboform can also (import and) keep your bookmarks. I use a combo of Firefox, Opera, Edge and Chrome on Ubuntu, Windows, Android and iOS and was wishing for a solution like this!

EDIT: And Roboform's form-filling capabilities are far and above beyond LastPass.

I had never head of this prior to your post, alarmguy - Thanks!

 

[csandste]

Right now I have an Excel sheet. Not sure that is the best method either. A fireproof box with a notebook is probably best. Still annoying though, quick check and I seem to have accumulated some 50 different logins to various sites.

Someone in IT at work shared an article with me that said the best passwords were actually sentences. Something like "My dog Rover died when he was 18." Easy to remember because it's not random, yet it hits most or all of the requirements of a strong password. I have not been able to use that but I've been wondering if that won't be usable in the future. Not sure if that can't simplify this problem for me--or if it'll make it worse, having to remember 50 different sentences...

For now I just copy and paste out of Excel--too many breaches for me to have any trust in any service out there.

I have a lot of fifty+ character pass sentences, sometimes using first and last name of town characters in my home town. Odd people with coke bottle glasses who died in 1958 in a town of a thousand. If you want to hold a standardized five character easily appended tag number that can be put on the end of each of the pass sentences that can be helpful too-- until the stroke hits

 

[Rand]

is robopass free? it says $24/year if I want " Access on all devices "

what feature does the free version have missing.. that makes you want to upgrade to pay.

 

[uc50ic4more]

is robopass free? it says $24/year if I want " Access on all devices "

what feature does the free version have missing.. that makes you want to upgrade to pay.

I'll presume you're talking about Roboform and not Lastpass. There is a feature chart here: https://www.roboform.com/everywhere that indicates there is NO device sync on the "Free" plan; but I have now installed the extension on Firefox and Chrome on Ubuntu and Windows as well as installed the Android app... I imported all of the LastPass data on one of the systems and that data appeared on all of the others immediately.