How to master the art of passwords

Web services and network managers near always require a minimum degree of password difficulty to prevent standard password-cracking techniques from guessing them quickly. We're as well cautioned not to reuse the same passphrases on different sites and are routinely blocked from recycling the passwords we've used earlier.

Considering the number of times PC users sign into a service or network each day, we may need to remember a half-dozen hard-to-guess passwords, not to mention the various sign-in IDs we use along with the passwords. Many computer professionals need access to dozens of secure systems, which stretches the limits of anyone's memory.

Firefox add-on

LastPass is available as a Firefox add-on and as an extension for Internet Explorer, Chrome, and other browsers. The version for mobile devices costs $1 per month.

The obvious downside of the paper approach is that someone will find the paper taped to the bottom of your keyboard or tucked into your wallet and access your private data earlier you're able to take preventive measures. Or you may simply lose the paper and have to do the recover-password-by-e-mail two-step for each network and service you need to access.

The only problem I've encountered with my own password-mnemonic creation is that some vendors require a mix of upper and lower case letters and numbers. I have become resigned to having to go through Apple's "Forgot your password?" e-mail routine about every other week.

However, I give props to Apple and other sites that enforce strict password-creation policies, as so then as to network managers who do the same. Efforts are underway to address the strong-password conundrum. As CNET contributor Lance Whitney described in post last week, Microsoft is working to improve the password-management capabilities of Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10.

Dennis O'Reilly has covered PCs and other technologies in print and online since 1985. Along with more than a decade as editor for Ziff-Davis' Computer Select, Dennis edited PC World's award-winning Here's How section for more than seven years. He is a member of the CNET blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET.