passwords

Password use needs an overhaul that is driven not by guesswork but by actually understanding the real damage that can be done when password security is compromised, according to a Microsoft researcher.

The App Store is chock full of password-protection apps, but one of the most popular is SecureSafe, which lets you store passwords, documents and, recently, photos, in a secure folder system in the app.

As at other breached sites, Sony customers used short, simple passwords that could be cracked easily; if Sony hadn't stored them as plain text that could be read without even that much effort.

It's been a while since I've covered tips for my favorite browser, Mozilla Firefox tips. So this week I thought I'd toss you a couple tips for scrolling through long Web pages in Firefox. But first--a public service announcement.

Sticky Password ($30, 30-day free trial) helps you manage your ever-growing collection of passwords. I have about 400 of them stored in Mozilla Firefox, and I doubt I'm atypical. Many are useless or outdated; far too many are identical or similar. It's easy to slip into very bad habits, and to forget that even if you don't care if your log in to a minor blog site is hacked, you could lose it all if you use the same password for something more important. Further, you have passwords and codes for things other than Web sites--bank accounts, home security, credit cards.

Password managers and other options to keep your passwords safe on the wild and woolly Web.

With so many Web sites demanding passwords, no one, but no one, can really be expected to remember all the ones they need.

In the wake of the Gawker security breach some pundits are using the lists of leaked passwords as a means to scold us all about our poor password choices. I disagree. Match the password to the value of the data you store on the site. A lousy -- but easy to remember -- password is fine for some sites, as long as you're set up properly.

Hack attacks are on the rise. And even if you're not the immediate target, you could still end up a victim.

Mobile password entry is unnecessarily painful. Here's how auto-correction coupled with "pass sentences" could help.

Russian spies allegedly used steganography, open wireless networks and transfer of memory sticks to swap data, but faced problems such as leaving a password lying around on a piece of paper and trouble getting laptops fixed in less than six months.

Sorry superhero fans, your passwords say a bit too much about you.