Switched to a password manager after my old spreadsheet got compromised

I used to keep all my logins in a plain text file on my desktop for like 8 years until someone got into my email last fall and found it. They cleaned out two accounts before I even noticed, and it cost me about $300 in fraud charges I had to fight. What do you use to keep track of your passwords that actually works without being a hassle?

3 comments

3 Comments

williams.luna12d ago

I read a study from some security site a while back that said like 60% of data breaches come from weak or reused passwords. That spreadsheet method is honestly a ticking time bomb, like you found out the hard way. I use Bitwarden now because it's cheap and open source, so I feel like it's more trustworthy than the big corporate ones. It autofills on my phone and computer without much hassle once you get it set up. Definitely beats the old sticky note on my monitor system I used for years.

kimblack12d ago

A study I read said something like 80% of hacking-related breaches are from stolen or weak passwords, so spreadsheets are basically handing the keys over lol. Bitwarden is good, I use it too and the free version has never let me down. The autofill on my phone took a day to get used to but now I barely think about it.

dylan_ward12d ago

And honestly a password manager would've saved you from that mess before it happened in my experience.