Posted by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 11:15am
Msg #282080

Password Manager Software

Initially I was going to put this on leisure, but in my opinion it's really more appropriate here. After reading a PC Magazine article on this topic (they gave it a 5 star rating) I've just downloaded a free password manager software program that is absolutely fantastic. It's called LastPass & can be downloaded at http://www.lastpass.com. The review I read on this software can be found at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343565,00.asp. The article does a better job at explaining the intricasies than I can, but after trying a couple of these programs over the last few years I can say without hesitation LastPass is head & shoulders above anything else I've tried. Best of all...it's free!

Reply by MistarellaFL on 3/25/09 11:25am
Msg #282082

I had Norton's software on another computer and LOVED it.
I wish I could find the disc to add it to my other computers.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 3/25/09 1:38pm
Msg #282103

Really good info, thanks for posting this. n/m

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 1:40pm
Msg #282104

You're Welcome, Susan...

...I'm glad you find it valuable. I've been searching for a program like this for years & it fits my criteria to a "t".

Reply by PAW on 3/25/09 1:41pm
Msg #282105

Built-in feature of Firefox. n/m

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 1:52pm
Msg #282107

There are Some Differences...

...such as:

(1) ability to generate a random strong password for a new site you're adding

(2) ability to fill in forms with your personal info

(3) ability to log in to see your password info from any computer or browser

(4) ability to utilize a portable edition of LastPass from a flash drive

There may be more, but these are the ones I'm aware of.

Reply by PAW on 3/25/09 2:10pm
Msg #282109

Agreed, but

it depends on what you're looking for. If all you want is a password manager, then the built-in is fine. If you want a forms management tool, that's a horse of a different color.

"ability to log in to see your password info from any computer or browser"

This item alone would fail the risk management tests for many financial service organizations. (Of course, any software capable of filling in user IDs or names and passwords, also fail the risk management criteria.) It also makes me wonder how safe your 'form' data and information is if it is accessible through the web or network.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 2:20pm
Msg #282111

All You Do...

...if you're at another computer is simply log in with your LastPass password. The PC Mag article addresses the issue of security...here's what they say: "To start, since your data is stored online, you can log in to it from any Internet-equipped computer. This isn't as dangerous as it sounds. Keyloggers can't catch the passwords you don't type, and you can use the built-in virtual keyboard to enter the master password. Even better, you can print off any number of one-use passwords before going traveling. Each of these will open your LastPass Vault once and only once. If the bad guys somehow capture your password, it won't do them any good."

Regarding the fill-in forms, if you don't want to use that aspect of the software you don't have to.

BTW, I notice you didn't address the strong random password feature.

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 3/25/09 2:06pm
Msg #282108

Will break my "vow" and reply.

"Vow" was really just for the Just Polictics forum only.
Been looking for something like this to substiute for my Gator, which is
now out of business. Needed for for new laptop as I can not xfer the gator
program.
Will check this out.
Thanx for the tip

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 2:21pm
Msg #282112

Dittos! n/m

Reply by Linda Juenger on 3/25/09 2:28pm
Msg #282113

Dennis I use Roboform. It is also free for up to 10

passwords. I think it is around 10 bucks to have more. I only have the free and use it everyday. Love it.

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 2:30pm
Msg #282115

I Tried Roboform...

...& find this to be much more user friendly.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 3/25/09 3:05pm
Msg #282121

I'll check it out. I may like it better also. Thanks n/m

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 3:19pm
Msg #282122

If You Try It...

...there's a feature in LastPass which allows you to import all of your info from just about any current password manager program (Roboform is one of them) you may be using.

Reply by Bob_Chicago on 3/25/09 3:29pm
Msg #282123

Hope that it works with Gator . I have more logins and

passwords than Dr Carter has little pills.
Give it a crack after EOM
Thanx again

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 3:46pm
Msg #282126

Gator Doesn't Appear to be One of Them...

...as here's a listing of what they will import from:

1Password
KeePass
LastPass
MSI PasswordKeeper
MyPasswordSafe
PassPack
Password Keeper
Password Safe
Roboform
TurboPasswords

Alternately you can export (if Gator has the ability to do this) to a CSV file & the LastPass import program will read from the CSV file.

Reply by Linda Juenger on 3/25/09 4:33pm
Msg #282132

I know what you mean Bob. You should see my cheat

sheet? I am out of room on both sides of the paper, but I know where every one I need is on the sheet, even to which side of the paper its on. lol

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/25/09 5:26pm
Msg #282136

Excel spreadsheet w/hyperlinks works pretty good, too. n/m

Reply by Sharon Taylor on 3/25/09 6:04pm
Msg #282137

I'm like you, Bob - tons of logins

Since I'm a dedicated coupon user and rebater for over 35 years, and I also enter a fair amount of online contests, and I also belong to several different chatboard and other sites, I've got a huge amount of logins. For unimportant sites, like a company's website where you have to join to play their latest Instant Win game or to enter their latest sweepstakes or to print coupons, I just use a hotmail account and the same login info, which is actually a reasonably secure oddball username and password. But for the important stuff, I use really secure letters/numbers/symbols passwords, and I have a special notebook for those.
I do get PC Magazine, but I don't remember reading about this. I might have glossed over it since I haven't been interested in buying one of these programs before. Which issue was it in?

Reply by Dennis D Broadbooks on 3/25/09 6:28pm
Msg #282142

It May Not Have Been Published...

...in their hardcover magazine, perhaps just their online edition. My first post contains the link to it.

Reply by cdoty_IL on 3/25/09 3:40pm
Msg #282125

Re: I Tried Roboform...

I also use Roboform, but I might give this a try since you can put it on a flashcard to make it portable. You have to buy the version of roboform to do this in addition to what I already have and I have more than the 10 logons the freeware allows. Thanks for posting the info!

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 3/26/09 1:55am
Msg #282167

My late two cents worth

I still keep in touch with people from the company I retired from. One of them is in the loss prevention department. We were having a discussion about password managers some time back. He says that there is not one on the market, including the ones mentioned in this post, that hasn't had a security breach of one kind or another recently. Some of them, it's quite routine. Since he is in charge of computer security for a $60 billion a year company, well, I tend to believe him.

Being a part of that culture for many years, I don't and would not use them on my own computers.

JMHO