[ajitkumarlb]

For all non-essential account and there are many of them, I just rely on Chrome and google to manage the password.

For google account, office account, banks & financial orgs - the important ones, I don't store the passwords anywhere, I have them as a sentence and use combination of first or last letter of the words of the sentence + some preset special character and number.

Ex: Mary Had A Little Lamb
Then: mhall12#4

Easy to remember and don't have to store anywhere.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Have stayed away from browser based password managers. I`ll never use it too. So, I`ve been using KeePass for last the 3-4 years. Advantages are:

1) No one can see the password when copy-pasting when the screen is shared.
2) Local storage. No need to keep an eye out for the latest security breach on LastPass and the likes.
3) Very easy and intuitive.

P.S:- I always use passphrases instead of passwords. Very secure (it being extra long) and easy to remember.

[Sran]

Although I remember my passwords, I usually forget my debit or credit card passwords and this has put me in one or two embarassing situations. Once, I was enjoying a lovely breakfast with someone very dear to me whom I met after a decade and lo and behold I forgot the credit card password during payment. I had another cards with me but not enough courage left to try them out. The waiter was considerate enough to try it twice. I paid in cash and left feeling like a fool. After that I wrote them on paper in deceptive manner, took a photo of it and it is now hidden somewhere in my phone.

For securing my digital life there are few things that I have followed for 15 years. I don't use external password managers. I don't trust them, never have never will. All of them whether its keepass or last pass feels like the project of Q-tel, the tech vc arm of cia or some project of america's NSA like tor project.
Google reads each and every email sent or recieved via gmail and yahoo is a lost case thanks to marissa mayer. So I don't store anything with them except gmail automatically storing contacts associated with the android phone synced to the respective email id.

I use firefox for work and store my passwords in the inbuilt password manager because it has a master password without which one can not see passwords or log in on any website. I don't store my banking or trading passwords on any device and use the old method of writing it down somewhere safe and is updated every now and then. I also keep one copy of them secured with my family so that if something were to happen to me they can easily access everything.

For any other activities I use chrome with their password manager but one has to very vigilant because chrome's password manager is weak due to chrome's lacking of it's own master paswword and uses system's password. If one uses their system without any password anyone can see your log in id and passwords stored in chrome in plain text.

[jfk1975]

Originally Posted by hondafanboy

What tools or techniques are you using to store / manage your various and complex passwords ?

I've been using KeePass for many years now - https://keepass.info/. There are flavors of it for mobiles too. I just make sure that I periodically keep a copy of the .kdbx file on USB and iCloud drive.

If you are on MacOS, then there is a MacOS supported version also, but from a different publisher.

[turbowhistle]

I used to use keychain for all my apple devices along with paid version of Lastpass. But since last few months, have completely switched to lastpass. Just don't forget the master password.

Like many others, lastpass allows you to generate strong passwords and they get synced across the devices you use. Also you get periodic notifications about your current passwords and if you need to change anything due to a breach. (Would recommend taking Lastpass's security challange)

[Guite]

Many good suggestions here. Mine is very rudimentary. It's in a text file on my PC. Inside the text file I don't type out the entire password word. It shows only one or two characters to prompt me. Some passwords have capitalisation, some don't. That's writtten as a note in my local dialect.

[DudeWithaFiat]

Originally Posted by Sran

I don't use external password managers. I don't trust them, never have never will. All of them whether its keepass or last pass feels like the project of Q-tel, the tech vc arm of cia or some project of america's NSA like tor project.

I use firefox for work and store my passwords in the inbuilt password manager

I use chrome with their password manager

KeePass is open-source. So if you know how to read code, then you can see there is no CIA/KGB/China behind it.

Certainly a lot safer than saving passwords in Chrome or Firefox. Browsers are the most 'popular' threat vector

[2000rpm]

Its simple. I dont worry about remembering all my passwords. All I need to remember is One Passwork - My primary google account, as most accounts are linked to Google.

If I forget them, reset is nowadays a two minute process like any OPT based payment.

Why risk storage with a provider who can leak it at his end?

However I have 3-4 Google accounts.

1. One for Banking and jobs. This password is typically a very long sentence with all confusing stuff built in. This one I remember.
2. One for all app installations. With Account 1 as back-up.
3. One for all miscellaneus stuff like shopper-stop, etc. Where I typically expect promotion related emails. With Account 2 as back-up.

[hondafanboy]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Don't laugh. I write them down on a sheet of paper which contains all my passwords - personal, business, statutory etc. Can't be copied or stolen digitally. As the only time I access these sites is from my laptop at home I don't need to store them on my mobile. PS: I don't use any Apps other than the taxi ones.

As the members suggested, there are quite a few intelligent ways to manage the passwords but are they easy or simple enough for our family members to manage and access our digital empire if we were to go somewhere and never return back ( apparently everyone goes to that place at some point in their life).

Your method seems easy and simple but is it safe ? Have you taken any steps to secure it ? e.g. the place where it stored and who else know about it etc.

[MegaWhat]

Originally Posted by GTO

Financial passwords are kept in an encrypted file on the system. I don't type them into the browser; instead, just cut + copy + paste.

That's a really great idea. Unfortunately most of the banking sites have disabled pasting lately. Should be quite useful wherever it's possible though.

Originally Posted by gautam109

Another good practice is to visit financial sites in "incognito" mode, which can block malicious plug-ins. Also erases any cookies created by the site, which can be security risks on thier own.

Many keyloggers are "incognito mode" proof though, so that remains a risk.

To add to this, I've started using duck duck go as my primary browser. Blocks out the predominant trackers, advertisements and any attempts to track your actions. Doesn't store any metadata either.
Based on that information, it rates & highlights websites based on their security. At the very least it has made me more aware of the risks involved with each website. Facebook literally sets off the alarm bells!

[amoghchaphalkar]

I use Dashlane and absolutely delighted by the overall experience and ease of use. Has a Chrome plugin and a mobile app. I almost never type passwords.

[verma_rahul]

I have a password protected excel spreadsheet that contains all my password and is saved in Google Drive. Whenever required, I use the Google Drive app in my phone or the Google Drive folder in my personal laptop.

In case if I am using my office laptop, I always have the option to access my Google Drive to retrieve any username/password.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by hondafanboy

As the members suggested, there are quite a few intelligent ways to manage the passwords but are they easy or simple enough for our family members to manage and access our digital empire if we were to go somewhere and never return back ( apparently everyone goes to that place at some point in their life).

Your method seems easy and simple but is it safe ? Have you taken any steps to secure it ? e.g. the place where it stored and who else know about it etc.

It is simple for sure and it has worked flawlessly since 1997! I keep one copy in my study at home which I refer to all the time and one in the file that contains my will :-)

[W.A.G.7]

I have been using Last Pass and found it to be very useful. I have almost all the passwords stored in Last Pass and I use it to generate the passwords for me.

[raksrules]

I am using LastPass for last few years, free version and am satisfied. Every month or two, I actually "export" the entire password list and print it out, double sided and keep that in our grab bag. I use LastPass app on iOS too.
Yes, I have kept a grab bag at home wherein, all property papers, passports, other important documents etc are kept.

I also generate passwords using LastPass and I don't know passwords for most of the websites and I have also told my wife the master password, just in case. I randomly ask my wife master password so she always remembers it.