wp.jochen.hayek.name/blog-en

Category: passwords

  • how to auto-fill logins on iOS using Bitwarden

  • the Bitwarden command-line tool

  • migrating account details from “text table” file to XML file

    I started the XML in 2007, with a couple of entries migrated from the “text table” file. And now in 2014 there are still far too many entries in the “text table” file, that is obnoxious. But actually I should have expected that.

    Having both files in parallel makes me every so often look for an entry in both files in turn, and that is sooooooo bad.

    Right, the “text table” file is rather nice to deal with in Emacs table-mode, but even simply copying from there (in just table-mode) leaves the buffer as “changed”, and I always have to make it look “undone”.

    It is just so much nicer to have just one file, and that is in XML, and I can use nXML (within Emacs) to deal with it.

    I even have a Perl script to assist me with the migration, but then … – I started the bad habit of having multi-line text fields, that obviously do not translate easily into that XML format, because field lines, that look aligned and corrsponding do not really correspond, so you do have to do something with them.

    I think I should just convert the next entries I am going to look up, assuming they are the ones I need most often.

  • O’Reilly Media book: Take Control of Your Passwords

    Take Control of Your Passwords:

    Improve your passwords without losing your cool, thanks to Joe Kissell’s expert advice. Start on the path to modern password security by watching Joe’s intro video and by checking out our “Joe of Tech” comic in the Contents & Intro tab below (scroll down!).
    Read the book to understand the problems and apply a real-world strategy that includes choosing a password manager, auditing your existing passwords, and dealing with situations where automated tools can’t help.
    “Awesome. You did an amazing job breaking it down. This should be mandatory reading.” –Rich Mogull, CEO at Securosis
    This ebook helps you overcome frustrations that arise when attempting to design a strategy for dealing with the following password problems:

    • 9-character passwords with upper- and lowercase letters, digits, and punctuation are NOT strong enough.
    • You CANNOT turn a so-so password into a great one by tacking a punctuation character and number on the end.
    • It is NOT safe to use the same password everywhere, even if it’s a great password.
    • A password is NOT immune to automated cracking because there’s a delay between login attempts.
    • Even if you’re an ordinary person without valuable data, your account may STILL be hacked, causing you problems.
    • You can NOT manually devise “random” passwords that will defeat potential attackers.
    • Just because a password doesn’t appear in a dictionary, that does NOT necessarily mean that it’s adequate.
    • It is NOT a smart idea to change your passwords every month.
    • Truthfully answering security questions like “What is your mother’s maiden name?” does NOT keep your data more secure.
    • Adding a character to a 10-character password does NOT make it 10 percent stronger.
    • Easy-to-remember passwords like “correct horse battery staple” will NOT solve all your password problems.
    • All password managers are NOT pretty much the same.
    • Your passwords will NOT be safest if you never write them down and keep them only in your head.

    “Joe handles a confusing and scary subject more clearly and calmly than I would have thought possible. I’ll be recommending this book to just about everybody I know.” –William Porter, database developer, author, photographer