[tip] Change your password from time to time

[Dragonrider]

It is a good idea to change your password from time to time. To do so log in to phpList admin on your site, click setup from the main page, then change admin password.

It is also a very good idea to use the same page to change your user name from admin to something more personal! I've just checked my phpList installations eventlogs and found that in most of them, there are been a series of attempts to login from IP's I don't recognise.

Just having run these through a "What's My IP", they come up as Bangalore, India using admin, listadmin, and the name of the site as usernames! I've no idea what passwords they tried, but phplist certainly wouldn't work as that was changed the first day I used phpList.

So, get your password changed regularly, and do consider changing the username too for added security.

[bakermerle]

Thanks for the great advise. I never do to be honest but i can see why this is important to do. I appreciate your input in letting all of us know how to do this.

[warwizard]

I make it a habit to change my passwords at least once per month, and after anytime I think there might have been some attempts to login.

I know it might seem a bit paranoid, but I can't risk any of my sites getting hacked!

[JennyWalters]

That is a great bit of advice i would not normally think to change my password.
Thinking about it i should be doing this on everything.Thank's again

[CMCarlin]

As for passwords remember to not use any word that is in the dictionary! These types of passwords CAN be hacked. The best passwords are random special characters and letters/numbers. One easy to remember tip: Take an easy to remember phrase and use the 1st letter from each word, inserting numbers throughout. Example:

Ring around the roseys, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down

RATROFOPAAWAFD

and then

RATRO19FOPAA59WAFD2010

1959 and 2010 inserted every few characters (1959 is split up).

For the web, I use lastpass and their password generator. Works good and it's free

[websitebuilder]

It's such a hassle to constantly modify passwords but I agree that it is necessary.

[Dragonrider]

I don't see why you would want to change your username. If you did that then people wont know who you are and you are liable to losing your reputation.. ~)

Simply to stop hackers and spammers from having it too easy and if you read the tip, you'd see I was referring to my login name on my phpList install, not a forum login.

[CS2]

For websites, I use roboform (roboform.com) to generate strong passwords for me and store them. It will also automatically fill login forms and you can use it to store commonly needed form information (such as name, address, email, etc) for quicker form filling. There is a free version that will store up to, I think, 20 logins or you can pay a reasonable fee to store unlimited logins. You can also has a netsynch feature so you won't lose all your logins if your computer crashes.

[billspaced]

I use LastPass - it has a great password generator that allows you to set parameters like length, special characters, and such. It's great for creating random passwords. Oh, yeah, it remembers them, too, if you want it to.

[cmqjan]

Roboform is a super time saver and a real bargain. It is good for all ages, too. (My 84-yr. old dad uses it all the time.) And, I am sure it helps the typing-challenged person as well.

[guthrax]

Roboform is truly very useful - it generates passwords, stores them along with user ids, keeps bookmarks and identities and automates the log in process. I've been using it for a couple of years, and now I can't do without it. Then there's Roboform2go - a portable version in a USB flash drive, which you can carry and plug into any computer, have all the Roboform functions available and, once you unplug the flash drive, no info is left behind in the computer. Using Roboform, one can very easily change passwords regularly and frequently, without the problems of "how to remember so many passwords".

[debnby71760]

I have been using lastpass and so far i like it. It is free as opposed to roboform. So, i would suggest testing it out as you have nothing to lose.

When you do start using it the annoying part for me has been that drop down on every site that requires a password. Once that is done it is relatively easy to edit the parameters of the site for future login.

One of the biggest postives about lastpass is that i can log in from any computer and have all my passwords and bookmarks. So if my computer ever crashes I will not lose what i have entered in Lastpass.

Hope that helps provide a bit more guidance on password management.

[laurenrule777]

I agree with changing your password from time to time. I have heard horror stories of accounts getting accessed and then those that hack turn around and change the password so the original user can't access their own accounts!
Passwords also can segment parts of your files for business and personal use in case an account gets broken into you won't be completely vulnerable. Always write down those passwords in safe areas and have an additional email account to access other email just in case.
Keeping with good security measures is only a small part of the overall internet picture. Many sources online are available for further indepth study on the matter. And comments here on this forum can help for specific issues.

[netebooks]

Hi,
My password was hacked a few months ago and someone put link scripts into thousands of my pages. I didn't find out until I built a sitemap and looked at the links. Terrible mess to fix.
John

[adampgreen01]

I worked at a bank with 6 different computer systems. I had 6 different passwords at all times and I was required to change every password every 30 days. Just look at your website as if it were your bank account, wouldn't you like to protect your website login by taking 1 minute every 30 days to change your password? I have made it a habit to monitor my important passwords more carefully. The key to success is to be organized.