How to Safely Store Passwords
Protecting your passwords is more important than ever as thousands of identities are stolen each day. Many computer users have online access to their credit cards, bank accounts, retirement funds and more---all of which contain sensitive data that needs to be protected. There are several measures that can be used to protect your passwords while at the same time keeping them accessible to you when you need them.
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Instructions
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Purchase a password management program, which will allow you to store all of your passwords on your computer in an encrypted file. The only way to access the passwords stored in the password management program is to enter another password, which should be unique and very difficult to crack. Several of the top-rated password management programs have been included in the Resource section below.
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Create and print a document that contains all of your accounts and their passwords and place the document in your safe. This way, you always have a full list of all of your account passwords. This list should never be left outside of the safe. If discarding the document, you should whiteout all information on the page and then shred the document.
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Disguise important passwords and keep them on a slip of paper in your purse or wallet. Keeping them on your person ensures that you will always have access to them, even if your computer crashes and your password management program is inaccessible or if you are not at your computer. It is important to disguise the passwords so that if they end up in the wrong hands, they will be indecipherable. For instance, rather than writing "Bank Account Password -- 1234567890," try disguising it as a name and phone number such as "Tom Banks -- (123) 456 -- 7890."
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid accessing sensitive accounts from computers other than your own. If you must access a sensitive account from another computer, set the web browser to "Private Browsing" mode; uncheck all options to save information, such as "Keep me logged in" or "Remember me"; and log out of your account when you are finished.
"Private Browsing Mode" can typically be found in the "File" or "Tools" menu of most web browsers.
Create a password with a combination of letters and numbers. Passwords that do not spell a word are best, however if you would like to use a word, do not use anything related to your life, such as a family member or pet's name, birthday, address or telephone number.
References
Resources
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