"You Shall Not Pass!" -- Let's Talk About Passwords, Online Security, and Surviving in a Digital World.
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You're going to have to give us some clues to help you remember, because we like having you around. 
With much difficulty. I also avoid opening accounts and I never agree to my credit card details to be stored. For many accounts that I can't avoid, I use Firefox password generator and save them. Anything involving money, I create a password but do not save it. I pay bills through my online banking. This has become less risky as my bank has finally improved it's account verification system.
I've not used mail for payments for years. I owed the tax man some money, sent a cheque but it never arrived. I cancelled the cheque, at a cost to me, and ditched my cheque book.
I don't know that there is a foolproof system. I was scammed once, by a magazine advertising fraud. They fooled me once, but I learned and they could not trick me next time around. At least it was a relatively small amount, but it still stung.
I've not used mail for payments for years. I owed the tax man some money, sent a cheque but it never arrived. I cancelled the cheque, at a cost to me, and ditched my cheque book.
I don't know that there is a foolproof system. I was scammed once, by a magazine advertising fraud. They fooled me once, but I learned and they could not trick me next time around. At least it was a relatively small amount, but it still stung.
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This stuff is VERY important to me, so please consider what I am about to say to you, and to you alone, to be TOP SECRECT!!
My first, super-secret, password was "passwor_", and then it became "Passwor_" when they started requiring a capital letter (if you want to know what the missing letter is, I guess I can tell you, but only you, and ONLY if you ask me via a private message .. because you can NEVER be too careful).
Then they messed up EVERYTHING I had going by demanding more than 8 letters, as well as insisting on the use of "special" characters, like a number, which is when I just gave up and went back snail mail, a dial telephone, shopping "in store" instead of "online" and, last but not least, paying for stuff with green paper that has something printed on it (didn't we used to call it $cash$?).
Then came the pandemic........................
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(cont..................in my next post)
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My first, super-secret, password was "passwor_", and then it became "Passwor_" when they started requiring a capital letter (if you want to know what the missing letter is, I guess I can tell you, but only you, and ONLY if you ask me via a private message .. because you can NEVER be too careful).
Then they messed up EVERYTHING I had going by demanding more than 8 letters, as well as insisting on the use of "special" characters, like a number, which is when I just gave up and went back snail mail, a dial telephone, shopping "in store" instead of "online" and, last but not least, paying for stuff with green paper that has something printed on it (didn't we used to call it $cash$?).
Then came the pandemic........................
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(cont..................in my next post).
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OK, reply #2 .. my actual reply
First off, I joked about all of this in my last post, but actually, it's not a joking matter (at least not to several of my IT friends who refuse to buy anything online, because they don't believe that their personal/credit info can be properly secured from people who know what they know).
That said, I manage my online security (as best I can) in several ways, starting with keeping printed copies of my accounts and their corresponding usernames and passwords in a locked file drawer at home (NEVER as a file on any computer that is hooked up to the Internet).
I also keep a second printed copy of the same in a locked file drawer at my office (in case of fire at one of the locations).
I've always come up with my own passwords (which are familiar to me in some way and therefore easy for me to remember, typically .. and I always have the printed copies if I don't).
Finally, wife pays our bills, principally over the phone, but sometimes via snail mail (many are set up to be paid automatically now, too, which helps w/security and makes things easy). On the rare occasion that I do pay a bill, I almost always do so online (which my wife rarely, if ever does). In the end, we have rarely, if ever, had any problems with security or getting bills paid (I am happy to report), no matter the payment method.
Oh, the other thing that I've done that helps me with security was setting up all of my credit cards to send me a text whenever a purchase is made. On top of that, all of our credit cards can be frozen on my iPhone via each of the CC's apps, and once I do so, they cannot be used again until I unfreeze them.
First off, I joked about all of this in my last post, but actually, it's not a joking matter (at least not to several of my IT friends who refuse to buy anything online, because they don't believe that their personal/credit info can be properly secured from people who know what they know).
That said, I manage my online security (as best I can) in several ways, starting with keeping printed copies of my accounts and their corresponding usernames and passwords in a locked file drawer at home (NEVER as a file on any computer that is hooked up to the Internet).
I also keep a second printed copy of the same in a locked file drawer at my office (in case of fire at one of the locations).
I've always come up with my own passwords (which are familiar to me in some way and therefore easy for me to remember, typically .. and I always have the printed copies if I don't
).Finally, wife pays our bills, principally over the phone, but sometimes via snail mail (many are set up to be paid automatically now, too, which helps w/security and makes things easy). On the rare occasion that I do pay a bill, I almost always do so online (which my wife rarely, if ever does). In the end, we have rarely, if ever, had any problems with security or getting bills paid (I am happy to report), no matter the payment method.
Oh, the other thing that I've done that helps me with security was setting up all of my credit cards to send me a text whenever a purchase is made. On top of that, all of our credit cards can be frozen on my iPhone via each of the CC's apps, and once I do so, they cannot be used again until I unfreeze them.
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Two words: phone banking.
My bank has this little building downtown where I go when I want to put money in or take it out. Nice people there.
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wots phone banking?
My bank has this little building downtown where I go when I want to put money in or take it out. Nice people there.
My bank has this little building downtown where I go when I want to put money in or take it out. Nice people there.
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@seoulsearch mentioned the cost of postage for paying bills by mail, but now certain things like phone bills and bank statements are being charged to your account if you want a paper copy sent to you by mail. The "cost of doing business" is being passed on to the consumer. I suppose it always was in one way or another, and the little guy often gets stuck with far more than he is aware of. Oh, my rent and monthly car insurance payments are auto debit also. I don't have to pay for cheques any more, or worry about late payments, fees, or penalties.
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Yes!
I once had a trash removal company that charged $5 for every paper statement.
I use a cashback credit card for any bills that will allow me to use it (I know, Dave Ramsey would banish me for this.) But I've always budgeted and pay off the bill every month, so I never worry about paying outrageous interest fees, and I get money back on bills I have to pay anyway.
But many companies have caught on to this and will charge ridiculous fees (a certain percentage of the bill or a flat fee, like $5) as a "convenience" charge, so I always have to ask before setting up the payments.
I once had a trash removal company that charged $5 for every paper statement.
I use a cashback credit card for any bills that will allow me to use it (I know, Dave Ramsey would banish me for this.) But I've always budgeted and pay off the bill every month, so I never worry about paying outrageous interest fees, and I get money back on bills I have to pay anyway.
But many companies have caught on to this and will charge ridiculous fees (a certain percentage of the bill or a flat fee, like $5) as a "convenience" charge, so I always have to ask before setting up the payments.
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This is another great point.
I don't know about other countries, but in the USA, there are 3 major credit reporting companies and once a year, you can get a free copy of you credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. You can get all your reports at once, or stagger them, getting one from each company at different points of the year (at least, the last time I checked -- not sure if they've changed this.)
If you notice any discrepancies, you can start by contacting these companies to work on corrections.
You can also request to have your credit report frozen -- you won't be able to apply for any type of credit, such as new credit cards or loans unless you contact the companies and unlock it with the mile-long PIN number they give you.
But in the meantime, it will make it almost impossible for anyone else to try to open a credit card in your name, which can be a problem if credit card companies send you a pre-approved application in your name (someone else can open the card in your name, but have it sent to their own address.)
Thanks to everyone for sharing all these great tips!!
I always like talks about how to keep spiritually healthy, but I like hearing how other believers keep themselves safe in this life as well.
I don't know about other countries, but in the USA, there are 3 major credit reporting companies and once a year, you can get a free copy of you credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. You can get all your reports at once, or stagger them, getting one from each company at different points of the year (at least, the last time I checked -- not sure if they've changed this.)
If you notice any discrepancies, you can start by contacting these companies to work on corrections.
You can also request to have your credit report frozen -- you won't be able to apply for any type of credit, such as new credit cards or loans unless you contact the companies and unlock it with the mile-long PIN number they give you.
But in the meantime, it will make it almost impossible for anyone else to try to open a credit card in your name, which can be a problem if credit card companies send you a pre-approved application in your name (someone else can open the card in your name, but have it sent to their own address.)
Thanks to everyone for sharing all these great tips!!
I always like talks about how to keep spiritually healthy, but I like hearing how other believers keep themselves safe in this life as well.
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