(0) OBVIOUSLY use unique passwords in every instance. (Use LASTPASS, ROBOFORM, or KEYPASS to remember the UNIMPORTANT ones. Do you care if someone can “share” your PORN stash. (Like I’d EVER have porn. You can catch a case of the computer equivalent of a social disease — malware, virus, or data leak. I think the real kind MIGHT be easier to cure.)

(1) Never STORE financial passwords anywhere, but in your head. (And, in a sealed envelope, located in your bank safe deposit box, for your executor.) Never ever! (If you have more than 5 ± 2, you have too many accounts.) Sorry guys, I don’t even trust my most TRUSTED  vendors. (Fact of life. Don’t trust. You won’t be disappointed.)

(2) If you do STORE a profile somewhere, ALWAYS use your real birthday ± 1. (It’ll be our little joke. Play along with all the FACEBOOK birthday wishes. Your real life fans will enjoy the joke. You DO have real life friends; don’t you? So sad if you don’t. You can link to me. I have very few — hi oldest, older, and just plain old!)

(3) If you do STORE — obviously not USE — a credit card number, ALWAYS do a typo with the “secret number” and add ± 1 to the last digit. (Then when someone has a security breech, they have your garbage.)

(4) If you do STORE an address for your self, put a typo somewhere so you know who to blame. (Personally I like middle name. “Hi, I’m F. 37 REINKE.”)

(5) If you can and it’s not needed for credit, add ± 1 to your SSN. (“Oh, sorry, I made an oopsie.”)

(6) ALWAYS mess with the secondary authentication questions. But do it in a consistent manner! (“Where were you born?” “Bayonne158” That’s Our Girl’s and her favorite number.) Caveat: Three sites — CAREMARK CVS, PAYTRUST, BOA — make you remember it from time to time. (If I forget, there is always “call one 800 outsourced service desk”. Reset them to colors. Then go in and immediately change them.) I always record my answers in LASTPASS ± 1. A great tool.

YMMV MTFBWY AMTHOBAIYF

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Apr-07 @ 05:07