Remembering passwords is a pain in the… However, for the near term, passwords are necessary, so we need to adopt a proficient way to generate secure passwords. I read an article last week where passwords were referred to by some in the technology world as “…the barking dog of technology.” That reference was comparing the likelihood of a burglar invading a home with a loud and large barking dog versus a home without a potentially vicious dog. It’s just easier and safer to move on to a quieter home.
Considering a large barking dog as a metaphor for your choice of passwords might not be a bad exercise. If your password and other security precautions are rather complex, then it’s likely a hacker will simply move on to the next target.
So here are a few easy tools you can use to help you remember, and generate, your passwords:
- Use a good password manager. I use LastPass, but there are other good password tools in the marketplace. 1Password is another good password manager, as it Roboform.
- It’s probably best to just let these online tools generate the passwords for you because they create relatively complex passwords. But be sure to keep a backup file of the passwords in the event something happens to your password manager.
Out in the distant future passwords will become extinct. Fingerprint detection is already being used in smartphone technology, and voice recognition is another possible password replacement tool. Facial recognition is another consideration for password replacement security. Yes, you look at your computer or other device, and it looks back at you to create your personal facial recognition grid. Brainwave recognition technology is also being studied as a password replacement tool.
But for now, consider using the simple and reliable tools I wrote about above. They might not be a perfect solution, but these tools are probably better than your current password security strategy.
Jeff Bernard
Jeff@CherryCreek.CC
