Just realized I used to save every password in a text file on my desktop

Back in 2012 I kept a simple Notepad file called 'passwords' right on my desktop. I thought it was fine because I lived alone and nobody touched my computer. Then my laptop got stolen from a coffee shop in Austin and I felt sick for a week. Now I use a password manager with two factor authentication and sync it across my phone and tablet. Anyone else have a wake up call like that or was I just sloppy?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin_wright19d ago

Are you really suggesting that typing your master password into a fake page is somehow the password manager's fault and not just a person making a bad choice? I've been using a text file for years with no issues and I feel like all this security stuff just makes people more relaxed and careless in other ways.

gavinm8919d ago

Did you ever check if that stolen laptop had any remote wipe options on it? I know some people think just having a password on the login screen is enough but that barely slows down a determined thief. The real problem with password managers though is that they can still get cracked if your master password is weak or reused somewhere else. I learned that the hard way when a phishing email snagged my master password because I was dumb enough to type it into a fake login page. It took me a week to reset everything and I still find old accounts I forgot about.