Security Tips: Manage Your Passwords With 1Passwd Managing Identities and 1Passwd Extras Michael Hall
Managing Identities
1Passwd also has facilities for remembering form data beyond just user names and passwords. It calls this stored information "identities," and provides fields for a number of pieces of data: Basic name and address information, a reminder question & answer, e-mail address, numerous instant messaging handles, forum signatures, phone numbers, social security, driver's license, and credit card information (number, expiration date, security code).
1Passwd remembers multiple identities, which makes it possible to fill out forms appropriate to a given situation quickly: A work identity might use an office phone, work e-mail address, and work IM handle, for example.
A formal personal identity might store the name, e-mail address and information you'd want to use if you were filling out an application. An informal identity might use your nickname instead of your given name and provide a less important e-mail address or IM handle for site registrations.
Once an identity is created, it can be recalled to fill out a form with a single keystroke ( ⌘ ⌥ 1-9 )
All this information is stored in the 1Passwd keychain, so it's encrypted and somewhat secure if you mind your keychain security.
Extras
At the top of the column, I mentioned that 1Passwd could help get around the problem of using multiple computers. It handles this in two ways: One's good for .Mac users and the other's good for cross-platform or non-.Mac users who own a PalmOS-based organizer.
For .Mac users, the 1Passwd Keychain can be synced among computers. It's an option under the Keychain Settings window in 1Passwd's configuration.
For Palm & Treo users, there's 1Passwd Reader for Palm, a $12.95 add-on tool that stores 1Passwd data in the device for recall away from a Mac. I don't have a Palm, so I can't speak to how effective or secure it is, but, like 1Passwd, it's available for trial download.
Finally, there's the overall issue of Keychain security: By creating a convenient, automatic mechanism for recalling passwords, 1Passwd's convenience involves some increased danger.
If you're frequently away from your computer and it's in an area where others could use it without your knowledge, none of the security Keychain provides does much good. In these cases, make sure the idle interval at which 1Passwd will lock the keychain is short.
You can also consider going to the Security settings in System Preferences and setting the option to require a password to restore the computer from its screensaver. Combined with an Active Screen Corner setting in the Dashboard & Exposé preferences, you can activate the screensaver and secure your computer with a flick of your wrist.
