The Last Password You’ll Need to Remember
I am reading “The Man Who Knew Too Much” by David Leavitt. It is a great read that gives insight into the life of Alan Turing and the brilliant mathematicians that influenced him. The Imitation Game movie was the cinematic version of this book and Alan’s history. He was the primary brainchild of the English breaking the German Enigma machine during WWII. Which leads me to what I am learning, Cryptography, in turn, sparked an article on how to secure your passwords. If you like math and history, consider reading the book. If you’re a movie go’er, consider renting The Imitation Game and enter yourself into WWII and learn about the invention of the computer.
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How do you feel when you forgot your password to that website that you use twice a year? How frustrated do you get when you “know that password should work!?” If you were in a serious time crunch for work or school and your password doesn’t work, what would you do; who would you call?
These are all common questions that one may ask of themselves on a daily basis, depending on how much you use your technology. Based on several studies, on average 82% of people have forgotten a password on a website that they frequent. About 64% of people either physically write down their passwords or use some spreadsheet to manage their passwords. Alarmingly, 70% of people do not use a unique password for a majority of the websites they visit.
The first figure typically results in frustration and lost time because you have to search for the password or click on “reset password” link that most websites have. The second figure may result in lost or stolen passwords and can cause a security breach of your personal information. The last figure combined with the physically writing your password down or using an unsecured spreadsheet is most alarming, typically resulting in undesired access to 70% or more of websites containing personal information.
How might you solve this problem you ask? It is a simple solution that requires little effort and can be free to the individual. The service is called LastPass and found at www.lastpass.com. The solution is in the name. You set up a secure password that will essentially be your “Last Password” to ever remember, then you import all of your current passwords and setup any new websites or application passwords in the LastPass portal.
Other features that increase its accessibility are secure notes, corporate subscriptions that allow you to manage employee passwords and a mobile application that allows you to have your passwords on the go. Regardless of how savvy you are on the computer, all of the above figures translate to valuable time wasted and crucial personal information compromised.
Consider the use of LastPass or a service similar to it that helps you keep track of all of your passwords securely. Whether you are a business or an individual this platform allows for continuity between all devices if you are sitting at your desktop/laptop or on the go with your mobile phone. LastPass’ tagline is “Simplify your life. LastPass manages your online life, so you don’t have to.”
“How would you feel if you left your front door unlocked and someone came and stole your valuables? Think about this next time you leave your accounts unlocked on your device without any protection.”
With Love and Care,
-Adam Dellos
I am open to suggestions, comments, and you sharing your story. You may direct message me by replying to this email or going to https://www.facebook.com/adam.dellos or https://www.instagram.com/hikingrugger
Have a great day today!
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