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:

  1.   Use unique passwords for everything 
  2.   Always write passwords in a notebook 
  3.   Add date of creation and changes
  4.   Never save passwords online
  5.   Minimum 12 various characters long
  6.   Never use personal information, name, dates, etc.
  7.   Refresh by logging in monthly
  8.   Note the website for each password
  9.   Keep old password books for a few years

Tips for email addresses:
  1. Write down email address in the password notebook
  2. Categorize email addresses for family, websites, friends, etc. 


 

Comments

  1. 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Becki,
      When 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.

      Delete
  2. 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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janice,
      Monthly password changes are good. I also save the email from the website so I know when it happened.

      Delete
  3. Those are excellent tips and things to remember for our cyber security!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeanie, They have proven to me a good way to manage being online.

      Delete
  4. I 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maryanne,
      You 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.

      Delete

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