Security is a process: new adopters of passcode keepers make us happy
A lost phone leads Jacqueline McAllister to new awareness about cybersecurity and we learn why changing passwords is a bit like coming up with a better dinner plan.
Jacqueline McAllister is a certified coach, physiotherapist, and acupuncturist. She helps her clients achieve full spectrum living, and recently completed a new certification with the Brave Thinking Institute.
How did Bitwarden come into your life?
I was working on creating my website a few years ago and during the process, I lost my phone! I, like probably 99% of society, realized I’d become entirely dependent on my device. The good news is that I found my phone shortly after it was lost, but it’s the story of losing it that led me to Bitwarden.
My sister had come to visit me and we met up in Vancouver. While we were out at lunch one day, I had earlier decided to leave my phone on charge in her hotel room, since it was at 4% battery. Then, I left it there! She mailed it back to me, but it was 48 hours before I got it back and in that time, I had to figure out how to communicate with people without my phone. Both my personal and work emails were secondary access points after my phone number, but I didn’t have the phone, so I couldn’t access them!
The other thing I had stored on my phone, quite diligently, were my passwords. I realized that, while my phone was MIA, I wouldn’t have access to my passwords or the things my passwords gave me access to – like my bills and banking. I recalled that Sherwin had mentioned the name of a password keeper at some point in the past, so I asked him about it.
What do you appreciate about the service?
I love that it’s free, secure, and it tests your existing passwords to see if any of them have been compromised. I actually had to change a few of mine, perhaps other people were using similar ones.
Why is a password manager so practical?
I don’t have the mental capacity to store 50-100 complex passwords! For me, Bitwarden reduces the cognitive load on my brain. I can create and randomize them, and Bitwarden stores them securely, so I don’t have to remember them.
I think one of the reasons people reuse passwords (and I would put myself in that category) is that lack of cognitive space. We need a quick and easy thing to remember. It’s like answering the question, “What are you going to have for dinner?” Most people have about five meals they repeat over and over. But with passwords, we shouldn’t go back to the pasta default!
What’s something you’ve learned through the process of adopting a password manager?
While I haven’t had direct experience with a cyber attack or hack, it feels like our use of the same password for accounts we consider “unimportant” or “low security” are starting to create problems. The cyber attack on London Drugs raised this issue for many, including myself. Hackers and bots are getting more complex and sophisticated in how they’re getting on the other side of our passwords. These events are reminders not to use the same passwords for seemingly insignificant accounts, because those could unlock bigger accounts with more significant information like names, addresses, and maybe credit card info.
I don’t like to think that way, but these are real events that have happened, so if I can remind myself to be one step more conscious about not reusing my passwords–even for the “little things”! – then it makes it easier for me to prioritize cyber security.
