Protect your identity and your online information with good passwords

By Rick Castellini Editor's note: According to a survey quoted on ShineyShiney, a "girl's guide to gadgets" Web site (www.shinyshiny.tv/2008/04/ kit_kats_for_pa.html), women are four times more likely than men to give out their computer passwords . for chocolate! The single most important thing you can do to protect yourself online is use a good password. In my weekly travels helping customers with their computer problems, I am appalled at the number of people who use the word 'password' as their password! Are you one of them? Even scarier, many computer users will use the same password for all their passwords. I know keeping track of usernames and passwords for the dozens of sites we visit can be harrowing, but I plan to help alleviate those troubles and make your passwords (and your identity) more secure through the information in this article. A password primer Why do we need passwords? Passwords protect our sensitive information from being compromised. You wouldn't leave your credit card or personal information out on a table in the middle of a mall. Neither should you leave that same information potentially exposed on the Internet by using weak passwords. To put your mind at ease about online security, remember that the most common method of stolen identities or credit card information is from stolen wallets or purses. Passwords should contain a combination of upper and lower case letters, numerals, and non-printing characters, like *&^%$#, and be at least eight characters long. If you use your dog's name as your password, try making it a little more complex by mixing case and the year you got him like this; $RovEr1998. Many security companies also suggest not using a word in your password that can be found in a dictionary to make it tougher to crack. Don't use social security numbers, birthdates, or your name as passwords. Keeping them all straight Remembering more secure passwords can become very difficult as they grow in length and complexity, but that is also the reason they protect you. Do not write your password on a sticky note and post it on your computer or monitor. Also, keeping them on slips of paper or in a notebook next to your computer or in a purse puts them at risk. Instead, use a software solution. Many software programs exist that let you store your passwords securely on your computer. These programs require a single password to open them and then you can access all of your passwords. Some of these programs can also generate a secure password for you. I use a Palm powered cell phone (Treo) and have used a program called Top Secret (from clicklite.com) for years to keep my password information safe, yet handy. I use it daily to access password and pin information no matter where I might be. Clicklite.com also makes a desktop computer application that works very well if you don't own a PDA or smart phone. Other good desktop password managers include: * Password Safe (tinyurl.com/484ef) * KeePass (keepass.info) * Access Manager (tinyurl.com/6tm2z) * Password Keychain (tinyurl.com/44g2j) * Password Manager (tinyurl.com/4qc7s) Identity theft grows every month in this country, but by taking some stepsto secure your personal information, you can drastically lessen the chance that your identity will be stolen. Computers and Internet sites can protect us only so far, the rest of the security is up to us. Creating, using, and properly storing strong passwords will help insure that your data and identity are safe. Start taking control of your passwords today! Rick Castellini is an author, computer consultant, and hosts a nationally syndicated computer radio show. Visit his web site at www.HelpMeRick.com for new tips every week and sign up for his free weekly email newsletter.