Oct. 3, 2012 – Best practice recommends that you change your password frequently and that you don’t use the same password for every website. That’s hard to do, but luckily there are some secure password managers that can help you avoid this problem. In this video, Nerino Petro State Bar Practice Management Advisor discusses passwords, password security, and ways to keep your passwords safe online. Some are free and others cost between $20 and $30 a year.

“The beauty of these resources is that they manage the passwords for you, and you don’t have to remember them,” says Petro. “You sign in with one password. Some managers store your passwords online and some managers work from a USB.”

Petro discusses basic features of KeePass, LastPass, and RoboForm password managers:

• KeePass is a free product that you can carry on your flash drive. You don’t have to store on your computer, and you don’t have to install it anywhere. It also helps you generate secure passwords.

• LastPass (Petro’s manager of choice) has free and paid versions. The free version allows you to automatically fill out web forms, and it syncs across all browsers once you download a small plugin. You can keep secure notes, share information with friends, and import and export data in different formats. You can use it on a flash drive, and you can purchase premium protection, which allows you to use it on all of your mobile devices.

• RoboForm generates different passwords for different websites. You sign in with one password, and it remembers the secure password for you. There are two versions to choose from the Anywhere version or the Desktop version. It is free for the first ten uses.

For more information, contact Petro at practicehelp@wisbar.org.