Comments on: Use OS X to help you create strong passwords

By: Mitch

Mitch — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 02:30:07 +0000

I use the name, starting with a capital, of the girl I currently like. One I keep who these girls are to myself, and two not many people think about putting a capital at the start of a password.

By: qka

qka — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:03:14 +0000

One of my favorite wines too!

http://pompousasswinery.com/

By: qka

qka — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:59:54 +0000

I use the initial letters of words of a phrase, often a song.

For instance, if I start with the MDN tagline “Where Mac news comes first”. that would yield “wmncf”. Change some capitalization, change the “f” to “1″, maybe add an “!” to the end, all yielding something like “wMnc1!” Easy to remember, makes no sense to look at, mixed case, digits, symbols. Of course this example is short, but you get the idea.

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:37:36 +0000

1Password. Use it. Love it. Couldn’t live without it.

By: Mailer Daemon Core

Mailer Daemon Core — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:59:05 +0000

Correct Horse Battery Staple.

By: Mac Plus

Mac Plus — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:25:05 +0000

Actually, in my opinion, the most secure place to store sensitive info that is too complex to memorize is written down and locked in a secure location that can only be accessed by you.

Anything stored electronically is (potentially) vulnerable.

My passwords, and I have a lot of them, are in a little black book, locked in a hidden safe, in a locked office, in a locked building with a security system. Are they still vulnerable? Yes, but the effort required would be more than they are worth, and no one but me even knows the book exists.

Well, except for you guys now…

By: Agent Provocateur

Agent Provocateur — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:15:50 +0000

One Password will store your passwords, software keys, secure notes and do it on Macs, Windows, iOS and Fandroid. Syncs to stay current.

andhttps://agilebits.com/onepassword/mac/screenshots

Authentec’s TrueSuite for the Mac handles this with assigned fingerprints so you can use complex passwords easily.

http://support.authentec.com/KnowledgeBase/KBview/tabid/843/ArticleId/335/TrueSuite-5-for-MAC-OS-X-10-6-Snow-Leopard-and-10-7-aka-Lion.aspx

The Mountain Lion SW is out for those running 10.8

http://support.authentec.com/Downloads/Mac/TrueSuite.aspx

By: Shawn

Shawn — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:04:57 +0000

agreed

By: alanaudio

alanaudio — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:45:17 +0000

I used to freelance for a company where I needed to choose a an eight character password with at least one number, at least one upper case and at least one lower case character in order to access their system, I mischievously chose the password “8Asterix”

When I had a tech support issue and they asked me what my password was, I told them “Eight Asterix” and they patronisingly told me that everybody’s password looks like that on the screen. It was fun to keep messing with them for a while and insisting that mine really was 8Asterix.

By: Thelonious Mac

Thelonious Mac — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:33:43 +0000

I use a phrase as in “Oneifbyland2ifbyc221b”

Easy to remember, quick to type.

Follow these instructions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QzhkOkvKnM

By: Thelonious Mac

Thelonious Mac — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:27:01 +0000

OMG Ballmer is one of my favorite wines!
http://www.fatbastard.com/

By: HTML5 Gordon

HTML5 Gordon — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:00:45 +0000

LOL at the MDN take.

I personally use 1Password to generate and manage all my passwords as I can then have easy access to all of them synced across all of my devices (Macs, iPhone, iPad, and *blech* even Windows when I’m forced to use it on my work laptop).

Everyone should generate different random strong passwords for everything they access. Using something like 1Password makes it easy to stick with it.

Their regular pricing is pretty crazy now though ($49.99 each for OS X and Windows and $14.99 for iPad and iPhone). I paid MUCH less for it back when I purchased. If you can find it at a discount or in a bundle then I highly recommend it.

By: macrick

macrick — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:45:02 +0000

How about “trekkers495652*transcendentally1″

By: Zeke

Zeke — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:43:45 +0000

At work I have a couple dozen passwords, all with different, but stringent requirements as to complexity. All of them change every 90 days and require a certain degree of change before a new password will be accepted. I couldn’t function without a password storage utility. I hope someone makes a good one someday.

By: FTB

FTB — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:38:12 +0000

mine is 1234
and if I can’t use that, 1234password or 1234Password if I need Caps.

never have any issues.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:30:25 +0000

MDN Take causes out loud laughter!

By: trondude

trondude — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:24:50 +0000

In my profession, most people who have strong passwords cannot remember them and tend to write them down. Real secure now, isn’t it!

By: Ballmer's left nut

Ballmer's left nut — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:22:51 +0000

My password is BallmerIsAFatBastard.

No one will be able to guess that.