I’m lost in the chaos created by Web sites and their evermore complicated and hard-to-remember password rules. What’s the best way to keep track of these things?
Using a Password manager program—a small database where you can enter and store all your account user names and passwords—might help here. Most password managers are password-protected themselves, and you just need to remember one password in order to look up or use the dozens of others stored within the program.
Password managers vary in features. You can find simple mobile apps where you can keep a portable copy of the users names and passwords you use for the different computers and online accounts in your life, or look into more full-featured programs designed for desktop systems that automatically log you into various accounts when you supply the master password.
Some programs can also help you generate strong passwords in the first place, back up your database and print a hard copy of your password collection to keep in a secure location. (Just writing all your account names and passwords down is another, often cheaper, way to keep track of things but may be less convenient than using specialized software.)
If password manager software appeals to you, decide what type of program you want to use. Mobile app stores and shareware archives (like CNet’s Download.com) have plenty of programs to sample or buy, along with user reviews to help you make your personal evaluation. Some programs are available for several platforms: Splash Data makes password-management software for Windows, Mac OS X and many mobile operating systems, as does Agile Bits with its 1Password program. The Top Ten Reviews site also has a roundup of password managers for Windows.