The passwords you use to access your computer, various web sites, your online banking or your financial software are the final line of defense against unauthorized access. It is imperative that you protect these passwords.
What are some practical ways to protect passwords? Here are some guidelines…
- Don’t write your UserName and Password down on the same piece of paper. Many times these two bits of information are all that is required to access the system.
- Don’t share your passwords with other people. You can generally be assured that if another person needs to access the information or application, they can secure their own password.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple and critical applications. For instance, if you password protect your Quicken files, don’t use the same password for your workstation login.
- Do manage your passwords. If you have several unique passwords and cannot remember them, use some software to keep an encrypted copy of them. I have used Password Safe (http://www.schneier.com/passsafe.html) on Windows computers and the Keychain on OS X.
- Use a common password for non-confidential applications. The primary benefit of this is that it helps to minimize the number of passwords you use. I use a common password, for instance, for newspaper website registrations.
Of course, if you work in a corporate environment, there will be specific InfoSec policies concerning password management. Be sure to follow them. With just a little thought and work, you can decrease the risk of compromised information.
- Dan
