Password & Email Maintenance
Clearing out folders, changing passwords, and sorting photos was a monthly event for me that took hours, sometimes days. Files and photos, I feel, no longer require monthly sorting. Maintaining good password health, however, is always a priority.
In the early days of Ebay when, I believe, a lot of people were getting online, a unique password for each website one registered with was popular with some people. (Moi) A one password for all probably isn't a good security system. Writing down passwords in a tabbed address book is an easy way to keep track of that important information.
Some tips I use for passwords:
- Use unique passwords for everything
- Always write passwords in a notebook
- Add date of creation and changes
- Never save passwords online
- Minimum 12 various characters long
- Never use personal information, name, dates, etc.
- Refresh by logging in monthly
- Note the website for each password
- Keep old password books for a few years
Tips for email addresses:
- Write down email address in the password notebook
- Categorize email addresses for family, websites, friends, etc.
Good tips, May. I reuse and recycle some passwords, and sometimes I get creative and make brand new passwords. We save them all in a rolodex file. I'm often completely lost if I'm away from home and need a password, though - it depends on what email address I've used. I only get email from my gmail account on my phone. Haven't been able to figure out how to get our longer-term email on my phone. The service is provided by a local-ish company and I don't think an app exists for it.
ReplyDeleteBecki,
DeleteWhen I have to be away, I use a small index card to write down the important passwords. I shred it when I get home. The key half dozen I use daily, I remember those well enough to not need them written on the card.
Great tips. I have so many passwords for work I do need to write them all down, but I dont change them. Maybe I should. Janice
ReplyDeleteJanice,
DeleteMonthly password changes are good. I also save the email from the website so I know when it happened.
Great tips!
ReplyDeleteThank you Marie!
DeleteThose are excellent tips and things to remember for our cyber security!
ReplyDeleteJeanie, They have proven to me a good way to manage being online.
DeleteI keep my passwords in a recipe card file which makes it easy to go through and make regular changes. Once a card gets full I can toss it and start anew. Easier than scribbling in a notebook and trying to make changes.
ReplyDeleteMaryanne,
DeleteYou have a good system.
I always keep a record of the old password because some websites when there's a glitch logging in will ask you to enter the last password you used.