Dalek Loc: Detroit, Miami, Goffstown

my password is jerryc41. If I forget it, I just look for your post and there it is. Better than a keychain. Thank you.

ddgm Loc: Hamilton, Ontario & Fort Myers, FL

I have a book that lists all my and my wife's passwords. I try to use the same password as much as possible.
Some sites or programs are now insisting on capital letters, numbers and characters to be included in the password.

cbabcock

I love how, when creating a new password, I do my best, and then get the snarky message that I Must Include this or that.

PaulBrit Loc: Merlin, Southern Oregon

Reminds me to sort out my passwords asap. I have a list printed out but it has become almost unreadable owing to numerous changes scribbled out!

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

Jerry call Apple Help 1 800.myapple. Very easy fix

Joe

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

CALL APPLE (800) 275-2273 They will know better than any of us.

neillaubenthal

MNy good suggestions here on reset...but I have a couple of other recommendations.

How many accounts to you have on the Mac? If only one...it is an admin account which gives full access to the machine and is easier to get yourself into trouble. I would make a second one that is admin and change your daily driver account to non admin, this is easiest done by logging in, creating a new admin account, logging out and back in with the new account, homage original account to non admin and then logging out and back in with original account.

The only real drawback is that if you are in your daily driver non admin account and need to do something that equines admin...it will pop up a permission dialog... it just put your admin userid and password in instead of your non admin credentials and it will gladly accept those.

Finally...get a password manager that syncs between your computer, phone, tablet, and whatever other devices you have. 1Password is the best Mac specific one but LastPass is also good... oth have Android and iOS apps and sync nicely. Neither is free...but you get what you pay for and the free ones are lesser featured. Once you have the password manager...make sure your Mac passwords are in it then as long as you remember your password manager password ...or have a face or fingerprint if your phone or tablet has that capability...you can always recover your Mac password.

I also have all the critical ones in my wife’s password manager as well...just in case.

robertperry Loc: Sacramento, Ca.

I keep all my passwords written down on index cards. The top shows the name of the site/app, etc., user name and password. Easy to thumb through the index cards and find what I'm looking for. Started doing this years ago after one site said I got my mother's maiden name wrong while trying to reset a forgotten password.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

In 1980 I got a job with a GM subsidiary where the IBM computer required that we change our password every two weeks - but it didn't store old ones, so one guy alternated between his first name {3 characters} and first name + last initial {4 characters, of course}. Systems have become much more sophisticated since then.

johfoley

There is a site that allows you to check if you have an account that has been compromised in a data breach. It is a real eye opener.

https://haveibeenpwned.com/

You can check email addressed and also passwords (to help to pick a less common one).

https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords

I discovered this site after I had been sent a mass mailing where the "sender" advised me that they had a recording made of me watching something that I should not have been watching. Included in the email was a password that closely resembled the one that I was actually using at the time.

They said that they were able to remote control my system, and that if I did not send them an outrageous amount of Bitcoin within a certain time period that they would release the video to everyone in my mailing list.

I was not too concerned about the threat. I only have dial-up, so I do not have the bandwidth to make videos watchable. My webcam has tape over it, and I could not afford to send them the Bitcoin (or how to do it) even if I wanted to comply. I decided to "let it fly"...let them do their worst...it didn't matter. (They eventually sent a "reminder", advising me that they had not seen any response. No kidding. They gave up, but I have seen similar messages occasionally. Huge scam.

What I WAS concerned about was that they obviously had my e-mail address; and also a password that was too close for comfort.

I researched this and discovered that these addresses and passwords came from several breaches of databases where my info was stored. (Evite, Linkedin, Adobe, MyHeritage) I would likely have been involved in the Target Stores breach and Marriott Hotels if I had been a customer). Because accounts are breached every day I keep my online accounts to a bare minimum. The owners can be trusted, but the employees/third party users often cannot. (The Target breach was caused by one of their contractors being careless with Target's Point of Sale systems).

If you should happen to receive one of these "I saw you" letters (What are you doing watching those dirty movies") disregard it, and report it to your service provider. It's a hoax...the addresses likely came from a security breach...and they don't know you. BUT they may have your password. They have NO WAY to make their threat come true, but they want to to "worry" so that they can relieve you of your money, credit card number, and other personal info.

Change your password regularly, pay close attention to your financial statements, and otherwise "be careful". These criminals are VERY tricky, but not necessarily smart, and they are counting on their belief that you are not as smart as them. I KNOW that you are "smarter".

PaulBrit Loc: Merlin, Southern Oregon

I, for one, found this very interesting. Thank you!