Hacked?

[capta]

Not a safe thing to travel with that. It's safe if you keep it at home, and in a lockbox when you leave the house or have visitors you wouldn't trust with your life savings. What would happen if that fell into the wrong hands?

Not much, as the obvious things like email address/screen name isn't in the book. But as a liveaboard (though I assume a house is no more secure if someone really wants to break in) there's always the possibility that folks could break in.
But they're usually looking for cash & gear, computers, etc, and I seriously doubt they'd go through the book shelf for that book.

 

[jssailem]

I seriously doubt they'd go through the book shelf for that book.

well not until now.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I’ll add another vote for LastPass. With recent iOS versions it’s very well integrated across iPhone, iPad, and PC. Their architecture and encryption are second to none. I use Google Authenticator for my 2FA tokens, but as Captain Larry says there are several options for that and they’re generally better that SMS.

 

[Ward H]

I'm another one that uses 1Password. I noticed in @Phil Herring s link that site has links to 1Password.
I find it easy to use, it's features work well and like LastPass works across most if not all platforms.
I tried LastPass a few years back but it didn't seem as integrated as 1Password. Will look at it again IF it has an import feature from 1Password but for now I'm comfortable with 1Password.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Will look at it again IF it has an import feature from 1Password but for now I'm comfortable with 1Password.

Lastpass can import a spreadsheet, so if 1Password can export it the process should be straitforward. Delete spreadsheet after.

 

[WayneH]

I have a spreadsheet built with OpenOffice with all my passwords listed. It is saved with a password on my computer. The file name is not anything obvious like logins.xls. And if I ever forget the password, not only am I screwed but my wife will be highly annoyed at me for personal reasons.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

I have a spreadsheet built with OpenOffice with all my passwords listed. It is saved with a password on my computer. The file name is not anything obvious like logins.xls. And if I ever forget the password, not only am I screwed but my wife will be highly annoyed at me for personal reasons.

Well, perhaps you should change the password now that you posted online that it’s your wife’s birthday or an anniversary date... it‘s probably posted somewhere else online in public records LOL

 

[shemandr]

Wow. I'm really behind the curve here. My MacBook Air uses Keychain, which is protected by a 4 letter password. If you get past that and go to the websites I use most of them provide the log ins automatically.
How are Last Passed or 1Password different? Do I just need to used a better password to access my MacBook?

 

[dlochner]

1Password has more features. It is possible to store other information such as credit cards, bank accounts and so on.

You can improve the security of your MacBook Air by keeping the operating system updated and a using a better administrator password. To change the password, go to System Preferences and then the Security and Privacy Pane. There will be an option to change the computers password, add 2 factor ID, and other options.

Also, be certain to have Find My Mac is turned on. That way if your Mac should take a walk, you can find it and lock it remotely.

 

[capta]

well not until now.

Well, if a member on here, after reading this, wants to fly down here from somewhere else, go through the expense of testing and quarantine and then find the boat, They'd end up spending more than they'd make, even with the password book. lol

 

[WayneH]

Well, perhaps you should change the password now that you posted online that it’s your wife’s birthday or an anniversary date... it‘s probably posted somewhere else online in public records LOL

That suggestion will keep somebody busy for quite some time.

 

[jssailem]

The challenge @Captain Larry-DH which wife, and who’s anniversary.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

4 letter password

Passwords should be long (current recommendations at least 12 characters). Unless there’s an automatic wipe after ‘n‘ number of failures.

 

[Daveinet]

IF the password must be guessed, how does the hacker know the length?

 

[Davidasailor26]

IF the password must be guessed, how does the hacker know the length?

They don’t need to know the length, but they generally start by guessing shorter options and work up. On sites or devices that have a minimum length they’ll start guessing there, making those the first passwords to be figured out.

 

[dlochner]

They don’t need to know the length, but they generally start by guessing shorter options and work up. On sites or devices that have a minimum length they’ll start guessing there, making those the first passwords to be figured out.

FWIW, hackers don't sit at a computer and try endless combinations, they have programs that do that. Also, whenever you get annoyed at getting locked out of an account, be thankful because the site's security is locking you out after some number of failed attempts to gain access.

 

[Davidasailor26]

FWIW, hackers don't sit at a computer and try endless combinations, they have programs that do that.

Correct of course. When I said the hackers were guessing short passwords first I really meant they had the short passwords at the top of the wordlists that they use for the automated brute forcing attacks.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

If your password is on the following list (or a variation of any of these) it can be cracked in seconds by a computer. The following is copied from Wikipedia:
The Worst Passwords List is an annual list of the 25 most common passwords from each year as produced by internet security firm SplashData.[4] Since 2011, the firm has published the list based on data examined from millions of passwords leaked in data breaches, mostly in North America and Western Europe, over each year. In the 2016 edition, the 25 most common passwords made up more than 10% of the surveyed passwords, with the most common password of 2016, "123456", making up 4%.[5]

Top 25 most common passwords by year according to SplashData

Rank	2011[6]	2012[7]	2013[8]	2014[9]	2015[10]	2016[5]	2017[11]	2018[12]	2019[13]
1​	password​	password​	123456​	123456​	123456​	123456​	123456​	123456​	123456​
2​	123456​	123456​	password​	password​	password​	password​	password​	password​	123456789​
3​	12345678​	12345678​	12345678​	12345​	12345678​	12345​	12345678​	123456789​	qwerty​
4​	qwerty​	abc123​	qwerty​	12345678​	qwerty​	12345678​	qwerty​	12345678​	password​
5​	abc123​	qwerty​	abc123​	qwerty​	12345​	football​	12345​	12345​	1234567​
6​	monkey​	monkey​	123456789​	123456789​	123456789​	qwerty​	123456789​	111111​	12345678​
7​	1234567​	letmein​	111111​	1234​	football​	1234567890​	letmein​	1234567​	12345​
8​	letmein​	dragon​	1234567​	baseball​	1234​	1234567​	1234567​	sunshine​	iloveyou​
9​	trustno1​	111111​	iloveyou​	dragon​	1234567​	princess​	football​	qwerty​	111111​
10​	dragon​	baseball​	adobe123[a]​	football​	baseball​	1234​	iloveyou​	iloveyou​	123123​
11​	baseball​	iloveyou​	123123​	1234567​	welcome​	login​	admin​	princess​	abc123​
12​	111111​	trustno1​	admin​	monkey​	1234567890​	welcome​	welcome​	admin​	qwerty123​
13​	iloveyou​	1234567​	1234567890​	letmein​	abc123​	solo​	monkey​	welcome​	1q2w3e4r​
14​	master​	sunshine​	letmein​	abc123​	111111​	abc123​	login​	666666​	admin​
15​	sunshine​	master​	photoshop[a]​	111111​	1qaz2wsx​	admin​	abc123​	abc123​	qwertyuiop​
16​	ashley​	123123​	1234​	mustang​	dragon​	121212​	starwars​	football​	654321​
17​	bailey​	welcome​	monkey​	access​	master​	flower​	123123​	123123​	555555​
18​	passw0rd​	shadow​	shadow​	shadow​	monkey​	passw0rd​	dragon​	monkey​	lovely​
19​	shadow​	ashley​	sunshine​	master​	letmein​	dragon​	passw0rd​	654321​	7777777​
20​	123123​	football​	12345​	michael​	login​	sunshine​	master​	!@#$%^&*​	welcome​
21​	654321​	jesus​	password1​	superman​	princess​	master​	hello​	charlie​	888888​
22​	superman​	michael​	princess​	696969​	qwertyuiop​	hottie​	freedom​	aa123456​	princess​
23​	qazwsx​	ninja​	azerty​	123123​	solo​	loveme​	whatever​	donald​	dragon​
24​	michael​	mustang​	trustno1​	batman​	passw0rd​	zaq1zaq1​	qazwsx​	password1​	password1​
25​	Football​	password1​	000000​	trustno1​	starwars​	password1​	trustno1​	qwerty123​	123qwe​

 

[dlochner]

But password is so easy to remember.

Another security trick. Give nonsensical answers to the security questions, for example, My mother's maiden name is: 0912x

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Give nonsensical answers to the security questions

AND make them unique for each site that requires it. For that you need a password manager.