Let's Talk About...Passwords

OK. Keeping track of passwords has become a full time and often frustrating job. And I don't mean "Password" with Alan Ludden and Betty White.

It used to be you just needed a password to get on your computer and maybe visit your bank statement. And let's be honest, most of the time you had a username like TomSmith and a password like "password." Or if you were feeling especially clever, you would choose "passw0rd."

Now, it seems you need a password for everything: logging on to your computer, your phone, your watch, shopping (one for each store), checking your insurance, paying every bill and even checking your health. And now your username looks something like T)m$m1th and your password looks something like u$s45CXhe2a. And don't get me started on two-factor authentication.

What happened?

We went from writing down a few passwords on a piece of paper next to your computer to keeping a list on your computer to keeping a list on your phone (no security issues there!) to having a password "manager" like Bitwarden, LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, or good old Google.

I have found all the manager manages to do is remember ancient passwords and not the ones I need now.

And don't forget, you need a password to access your password manager. Which, of course, you don't remember

Why so many passwords? Well, how often have you gotten that "red flag" warning that your password isn't strong enough or has been compromised and for your own good you need to change every password immediately. Have you gone down that rabbit hole?

Perhaps you obediently click on "change password" which prompts a link to your email. Inevitably, it is an email you forgot the password for. So, you have to change that password. And so it goes.

Then, you have to create a password that has 9 digits, 3 "special" symbols, two numbers and at least one capital letter. So, you end up with something completely unmemorable like T%cat67m30. Or you can click on "Use Suggested Password." Great idea! Well, a bunch of gibberish pops up which you "accept" then promptly forget. Hopefully your manager is on duty.

But let's say you write down the new password, well, later you have to determine if that zero is an "O" or if that capital "I" is a lowercase "L".

See the problem?

Oh, and even if you do strengthen all of your passwords (does anyone really want to steal my password to HalfPriceDrapes.com?), notify your password manager, and feel confident about your online security, your computer ultimately doesn't tell your phone or your ipad the new passwords.

And naturally when you are standing in the middle of the Apple store at an appointment you waited 2 weeks for and they need your login for both Apple and Verizon, you look down at your phone and...nothing pops up. It kind of makes you miss the days where all you needed was a phone book.