How secure is my information in the cloud?

[Eddie Dane]

I use Google docs.

Some of the documents contain passwords for on-line accounts, some of these are pretty vital.

Is this a safe practice?

And if not, what is a safe way to store passwords?

 

[Andrew Wiggin]

Store your passwords in your own personal cloud, the one between your ears. It's rather hard to hack, barring rubber hose cryptography. The trick is making passwords that are both secure and easy to remember.

 

[Darat]

Store your passwords in your own personal cloud, the one between your ears. It's rather hard to hack, barring rubber hose cryptography. The trick is making passwords that are both secure and easy to remember.

Just write them down on a post-it note and stick to the side of your monitor - or if you want to go totally overboard - stick the post-it note to the underside of your keyboard.

 

[Fishstick]

Keepass is a great way to keep your passwords secure. Put the actual key db on a stick.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I use Google docs.

Some of the documents contain passwords for on-line accounts, some of these are pretty vital.

Is this a safe practice?

And if not, what is a safe way to store passwords?

Yes. Quite safe. Unless you include specific instructions on how to log into the various accounts, the passwords themselves are of no use.

 

[rjh01]

There are various problems with storing passwords
1. Forget the master password and you are stuffed.
2. Someone breaks into the system and steals your passwords.

No I use Darat's system.

 

[The Norseman]

I use Google docs.

Some of the documents contain passwords for on-line accounts, some of these are pretty vital.

Is this a safe practice?

And if not, what is a safe way to store passwords?

I don't trust anything like that to "the cloud." I use passphrases for the fact that once you reach like 24 characters (IIRC), even if they're all just lowercase letters, it provides the equivalent to 128-bit security.

It waz the brest of times, it was the wurst of times

There. I am able to remember my own little one-off spellings of words or modify a space here or there and it won't be brute-forced.

For those websites who are in the dark ages of web-security (like limiting a password to 12 characters, no spaces, you must use a weird letter plus a number, blah blah), I use a program on my cellphone which is kinda a pain, but when I'm out and about, I want to try and guard them.

At home, I will hide my passwords in plain sight, so they're not easily guessable, yet totally accessible to me whenever I need them (which is rare).

This was especially important for my router passwords and BIOS passwords that I had to set up due to one of my step kids. I was teaching him a lot about computers -- he loved them and I loved teaching him stuff. Just wanted to make sure that I kept control at all times of the main family boxes. (He had his own to hack on.)

Errr... anyway.... the cloud.

Yeah, I don't know where the data is stored and therefore I have no idea who may have access to it. Nearly everything I do/write whatever, I have no problem if it becomes compromised. But passwords and SSN's and a few other things, I will not store online and I use encrypted email as much as possible.

As an aside, this is the thing that worries me most about the US government moving over towards cloud computing. Yes, it's dynamic and able to respond relatively quickly to data needs, but I just cringe when I think of all that data not stored on US government servers in the US.

 

[Mirrorglass]

Keepass is a great way to keep your passwords secure. Put the actual key db on a stick.

Seconded. 'Course, it requires you to remember one password you're confident won't be hacked, as anyone getting into the Keepass database would be a disaster. But on the other hand, unless the password is compromised, you won't have to worry about hackers. The best part about this is allowing me to use a different, secure password for each site, which in and of itself makes me a lot safer.

 

[TruthMakesPeace]

Password protected Excel spreadsheet to store passwords

Iwhat is a safe way to store passwords?

To prevent using the same password over and over, you can make an Excel sheet which has a list your passwords. But keep in mind that Excel passwords can be cracked. Keep the Password.XLS in a safe place, and apply Windows encryption on the file. Excel is already included on many computers. This is a balance of security with practicality.

 

[rjh01]

How do you put Windows encryption on a file or folder? I know how to do put a password on an Excel file.

 

[GrouchoMarxist]

How do you put Windows encryption on a file or folder? I know how to do put a password on an Excel file.

Select advanced from the general tab of the file or folder properties. I don't think Windows encryption is available on any of the home editions though.

 

[This is The End]

How do you put Windows encryption on a file or folder? I know how to do put a password on an Excel file.

I know this isn't what you are asking exactly, but you can encrypt a file or folder with WinRAR. It uses 128 bit AES.

Make sure 'Encrypt File Names' is checked if the file names are sensitive as well.

Also, you don't have to compress the file/folder, just use Store for easier access of large files.

 

[rjh01]

Select advanced from the general tab of the file or folder properties. I don't think Windows encryption is available on any of the home editions though.

Found the box to tick, however it does not appear to do anything. I can still save a document and open it again without it demanding a password. So I am confused. How does this protect my documents? Will it stop other computers reading them?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[GrouchoMarxist]

Found the box to tick, however it does not appear to do anything. I can still save a document and open it again without it demanding a password. So I am confused. How does this protect my documents? Will it stop other computers reading them?

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, other user accounts and computers will be denied access.