 There is no doubt about it, passwords are a pain!! Yet, they are currently the primary method of online identification. It
is almost impossible to surf the Web without being asked to sign up for
a user name and password. Here's the dilemma. If you use the same
password for every account and one account is compromised, the
perpetrator will have access to all of your online accounts, and will
have a good start at stealing your identity. Yet using separate
passwords for every account will give even the most brilliant mind
quite a work out. Certainly you can use a different password for each
account and write down all the passwords, but then anyone who finds
your paperwork, which you obviously keep near your computer, would have
access to all of your accounts and your identity.
I use a different password for most of my online accounts. Yet my
not-so-brilliant mind cannot even begin to remember them all.
Thankfully, I don't have to remember them all. I have help. I rely on a
program called RoboForm .
After you install RoboForm, you set up one password for access to the
program and that is the only password that you have to remember.
RoboForm will remember all the other passwords for you. The first time that you
surf to a site that requires a username and password, after you fill it
in, RoboForm will ask if you want RoboForm to remember the information.
Click on yes, and when you return to the site at any time in
the future, RoboForm will fill out your user name and password. You can
even configure it so that it submits the information for you, which
really makes the process smooth and easy. RoboForm appears as a toolbar
on your Web browser. So it is always available. It works with Internet
Explorer, Netscape, and Firefox.
The RoboForm information is saved in what they call "passcards."You can
also print out a list of all your passcards and keep it in a safe
place. You can even keep the list in your safe deposit box or site that
is remote to your computer. You won't need it unless the data on your
hard drive becomes irretrievable (and you don't have a backup) or you
forget your RoboForm password.
If you want to be especially safe when doing online banking and other
important financial transactions, you can have RoboForm generate a
password for you. This password can be up to 512 characters long.
Again, you don't have to worry about remembering it. RoboForm will
remember for you.
RoboForm has many other features, as well. It will memorize your name,
address, credit card, and any other information that you use to fill
out online forms. Then it will fill out any form automatically. It will
handle multiple personalities, so if fill out some forms for a business
and some for personal use, your covered. You can also create
personalities for you, your wife, and your children. You can even
create a "fake" identity when you may want to register for something,
but don't want to give out your real name and information.
RoboForm will also save offline passwords and notes. It will encrypt
passwords and personal data so you can use it for debit or ATM card
numbers. The data is stored only on your own computer, so you don't
have to trust anyone else with your passwords and data.
You may see RoboForm referred to as RoboForm AI. The AI stands for
artificial intelligence. The program uses its intelligence to fill out
forms and it is almost always correct. For instance, sometimes the
phone number is listed in 3 fields of 3+3+4 digits, sometimes it is in
2 fields of 3+7 digits. It can even be in 1 field of 10 digits.
RoboForm will interpret all of these correctly when it fills in a
telephone number.
If you use several different computers, you can also purchase a
portable version of RoboForm, called RoboForm2Go.This allows you to
carry your passwords and information on a USB key or a removable drive
in an encrypted format. You can also synch your RoboForm information to
a Palm or a PocketPC.
While RoboForm is easy to install and easy to use, I suggest that you
go through the online tutorials which will walk you through how to use
the programs many features.
Roboform offers a 30-day free trial with all features useable. After 30 days home users can continue to use RoboForm for
free, but the functionality is reduced. It is limited to 10 passwords,
2 identities, and 3 custom fields in each identity. If you have less
than 11 passwords, the free version is beneficial as a
great password memorizer. If you have more than 10 passwords and would
like to take advantage of extensive form filling, and the program's
many other features, you will want to opt for the paid version. At
$29.95, this program is an inexpensive way to take the worry out of
remembering passwords. If you consider its form filling capabilities
and the ability to keep encrypted notes, it is a real bargain. I've
been using it for years, and I wouldn't want to be with it.
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