Beware of these "Easy Password" apps

Hi there

I'm always amazed how people just PUT THEMSELVES in possible difficulties when using the Net. I know that passwords are a nuisance but those apps that store a "Virtual Safe" on the cloud where you store your passwords so any app requiring a password login just takes it from the "Virtual Safe" seems to me a potential recipe for DISASTER. - Severs do go down and do get hacked.

I'm of the old school-- a black notebook hidden away in a reasonably inaccessible place seems the best (and "Lowest tech") solution of all.

Simple and virtually HACKPROOF. Nothing is of course 100% safe but sometimes a bit of Old School Tech can still work wonders.

Cheers
jimbo

While, indeed, you do have to be careful. Most decent apps are "unhackable", because they use client-side encryption. Even if someone hacks the server, all they get is the encrypted info which is useless without the keys stored on your local computer.

Dashlane is one such app that does this.

However, it also means you can't access these passwords when not using an already authenticated device.

Layback Bear said:

Their is not such thing as "unhackable"!!

That's why I put it in quotes. Yes, if someone wanted to invest millions in hacking hardware to decrypt your file, sure. But, other than that, there's no way they're going to get to your data, even if they compromise the servers. Even if they have your master password, it won't help, since they need the physical keys stored on your computer as well.

Could they infect your machine with a virus, steal the keys, and your password, and then find it? Sure... but they would have to be targeting you directly, because that would require very specific knowledge of you, your systems, be able to read computer memory for decrypted keys.. and at that point, they could just install a keylogger to get your passwords.

So in other words, it's far more trouble to break the encryption of the servers when it's so much easier to just break into your home and torture you with a wrench until you give up access.

Mystere said:

So in other words, it's far more trouble to break the encryption of the servers when it's so much easier to just break into your home and torture you with a wrench until you give up access.

Wouldn't they just take the money. jewelry, Flat screen TV, Computer, and other valuables and high tail it out of there?