BLOG: How to use passwords effectively | Blogs | Techie.com.ph
5:47 PM | Friday | 30 July 2010

Like it or not, the passwords you use are the only line of defense between others and your personal info. Info that they can use to harass or even steal from you. Here's how to maximize your passwords:

Maintain multiple email accounts

I would recommend at least three: one for casual online acquaintances, another for social-networking profiles and trusted contacts, and a third one for really important sites (online banking, payment portals, etc.). 

Never ever reveal your "serious" email address – except to those you trust your life with. Use the "casual" address when interacting with strangers, eventually switching to your social-networking email when comfortable. This makes it hard for anyone to take control of your important online accounts because you've never revealed the email used to manage them at all. Once someone knows what email address you use for an account (say, PayPal), they can go straight to trying to figure out your password. Speaking of which...

Use good passwords

I can't seem to remember where I read this, but one anti-malware company suggested the following: Mix up passwords with a four-number PIN you commit to memory, a four-letter abbreviation of the site the account is for, and series of numbers and letters you keep in a safe place, like your wallet. 

Here's an example: For your Facebook account, you use "fbuk" + "9506" + "3925gqos," to create "fbuk95063925gqos" as your password. "fbuk" is the prefix, "9506" is your pin, and "3925gqos" is what you've written down and stored in your wallet. The aim is to create different but still memorable passwords for your sites. Someone who has figured out your Facebook password won't have automatic access to, say, your webmail. 

Admittedly, this is a complex system, and I won't be surprised if you start clicking on that "forgot my password" link several times until you get used to the whole setup. But if you have your own computer, there's nothing wrong with saving passwords. Unless you don't...

Protect your browser passwords

Browsers like Firefox are great, because they offer to store your username and passwords for later use. No more need to type in your credentials every time you have to log in. Unfortunately, clever people have found a way to trick Firefox to reveal your passwords and usernames to them, which is a lot more efficient than looking for information they can use to break into your accounts. 

Luckily, Firefox has a feature you can activate to require another password, when you first visit a site where you have to log in. Click the Tools menu and select Options, then click on the Security tab. Make sure "Use a master password" is checked; if this is your first time to do this, Firefox will ask you to set a master password. This is what you have to type in whenever you start the browser, before it automatically fills up your login forms.  

I'm not entirely sure if the same functionality is available on other browsers, so feel free to share by leaving a comment below. Making sure your browser protects its saved password maintains a good balance between convenience and security. Just make sure you...

Don't use password-recovery questions

In case of lost passwords, many websites present a recovery question to you. Answer it correctly, and they show your password/allow you to reset it. The problem is that other people can effectively steal your account if they get the answer right, too. I would recommend not using password-recovery questions at all. If a website forces you to do so, pick any question then just type in gibberish as an answer. 

Identity thieves and hackers are always looking for easy marks. The tips above should make it relatively hard for anyone to gain unauthorized access to your accounts. It's a simple game of misdirection; if it's hard for victimizers to take advantage of you, they'll simply move on to more vulnerable victims. With good passwords, you significantly become a less-tempting target.

Image Smart Productivity