Password management tools like Blackberry password managers and Roboform are great, but what if you don't have them with you? The Little Grey Cell Storage System(tm) is always available, but has a limited capacity (more limited for some of us than others). There are a number of free and paid online password managers available. Do you want to trust your passwords to this type of service?

I have been looking at a service in beta called Passpack. It has lot of great convenience features and flexibility that allows you to trade-off convenience for higher security. It can also import passwords from other password managers, including Roboborm.

These folks seem to understand security and implement it well. The passwords are strongly encrypted locally, using a strong passphrase. So far, I have not entrusted them with my most sensitive passwords, but I like the implementation, the features, and the backup in case I do not have my USB key with my Roboform passwords available (I have been known to leave it on the desk from time to time).

What do you think? Are online password managers secure and should we be trusting them with our most sensitive passwords?

Dennis H in West Virginia, US

August 18, 2008

So many passwords and so little brain space! The stronger the passwords are, the more difficult they are to remember. Even when we use clever schemes to make strong passwords that we can remember, it becomes almost impossible to remember which password goes where. The end result - we end up re-using a few passwords for everything, which is just not good security.

I told you my dirty little secret about using a U3 drive yesterday. The biggest single reason I use it is for my RoboForm2Go. It's not free (there is a free version, but it only remembers ten passwords), but it is a great password manager and form filler. It integrates with both IE and Firefox, includes a password generator, uses strong encryption with a master password (one is about the number of strong passwords I can remember), and the 2go version on a U3 drive allows me to use it on any computer without installing anything or leaving anything behind.

There are also versions for non-U3 USB drives, Blackberry, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. For an extra $10 you can get it pre-installed on a 256 MB USB drive.

What is YOUR favorite? Tell us what you use to manage passwords. Keepass? (free alternative for Windows users)? OnePassword (great for Mac uers)? There are several available for the Blackberry. TELL US YOUR SECRET!

Dennis Houseknecht - August 15, 2008