Secure Your Passwords


This tip is provided by Diane Ebersole with the State Bar of Michigan.

Secure passwords on your PC/laptop and mobile devices.

There are many options available to help you securely manage passwords. Ironkey flash drives allow the user to carry an encrypted flash drive which will save your passwords, remember your favorite web sites and also provided an encrypted environment to more safely transport your files. The 1GB drive starts at $79.00 and there are a variety of options to choose from.

Another option is Keeper desktop software from Callpod. Keeper will store and organize a multitude of passwords, user names and account notes, and it requires you to remember only one password! Attempting to log in five times, with the incorrect password will lock you out. Keeper is available for Windows, MAC, Linux OS and mobile iPhone, Android, and Vodafone. The application also features an Auto-Logout Timer which you set to a specific time frame to logout. Additionally your data can be exported in a number of formats for your backup should you have a full out hard drive disaster. Of course if you are not careful with the backup file, the whole exercise of buying Keeper could be pointless.

Keeper has a 15 day free trial and the purchase price is $29.95. Currently you can get the mobile version for free. If you have both versions, then you can synch your mobile with your computer and have a mutual backup system in place. If you are carrying a card in your wallet with all your user names and passwords written on it, it is time for you to check out Keeper or a similar application.