Create a 'password safe' for online passwords

Dec 05, '05 06:30:00AM

Contributed by: Anonymous

Like many readers, I have three or four online accounts I want to protect. One way is to use good passwords, but how can I remember them or store them securely on my Mac?

I create an encrypted disk image with Disk Utility, and put the disk image into my Documents folder. I set it up as 128 bit AES encrypted, password protetected, and don't add to Keychain. I named the disk image Secret.dmg. Next, I created a blank text document, and copied it to the disk image. Now I just use a password generator (in my case, the freeware PassGenX) and create passwords for my online accounts, and enter them in the text file on the image. Finally, I drag the text file onto the Dock, then unmount the image. (The Dock icon is just an alias to the real doc, obviously.)

Any time I want to look up a password, I click on the file's icon in the Dock, enter the encrypted image password, and open the text file.

A poor man's password safe.

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