How to deal with Mom who CANNOT learn how to use a password manager, but demands I "fix it"
How to deal with Mom who CANNOT learn how to use a password manager, but demands I "fix it"
I've become the tech guy, and family are extremely entitled to my services. My mom especially. BTW I can't cut her out, because I still live with her and she EXPECTS me to fix anything computer related. She won't take no for an answer.
I've tried to keep track of her passwords with a password manager, I've spent literally 8 hours in a single day filling out captchas and replacing passwords, and I've spent even more time trying to teach my mom how to use the manager.
She CAN'T learn it, and always makes a new password, which she doesnt keep track of and expects me to fix it. What the hell do it do? She uses firefox, with auto refill on, but it doesn't autofill on her iphone.
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I don't mean to be rude, but maybe stop forcing her to use a tool that you like but she doesn't. I'm tech savvy but I also think that password managers are a pain in the ass to use. Just let her choose a password of her choice for every service, give her a little paper notebook and let her note down all the passwords. Tell her to make them long and secure and different for every service. Tell her to store the notebook in a safe place. Done.
Again, she has trouble keeping track of things. Ive given her a printout with her passwords and she loses the paper, and doesnt know how to print it, or is straight up too lazy to type in a long complicated password, so she just makes a new random one.
She can't even keep track of the new passwords she makes, so I dont think this would make a very big difference
The suggestion was for a little notebook, not a printout.
Have you tried a little notebook?
A notebook is more of a “thing” than a piece of paper is. A notebook is the sort of thing a person can keep on a bookshelf. A sheet of paper is gonna live on a flat surface until it’s thrown away.
Try the notebook.
This, and it should be passwords she chooses and can remember (at least the ones she uses the most). Not some random mix of letters and numbers.
Also let her save them in her browser.
Take a picture with her phone? Then it will be in her gallery. Or frame the paper and hang it on the wall.
Obviously terrible for security so depends on what is more important to you.
That works right up until you have to change one of the passwords.
Realistically, how often does this happen?
Maybe find a solution when it happens.
My main problem is that she is CONSTANTLY changing passwords. I try to teach her how to use her passwords manager, and have a printout in the vault, but she is too lazy to get the password, and type it in. She is too lazy to even track the new password she makes.
Then make it easier for her to retrieve a password. A vault is not a good place. Give her a little notebook she can put in a shelf or drawer.
This is how I approach all problems in my life, +
How many password breaches have there been?
Perhaps many, but I have over 500 accounts in my password manager, yet none of have been leaked per the password exposure report (which I assume is based on the https://haveibeenpwned.com/ database).
So perhaps the problem is overblown in practice, assuming you don't use the same password in many sites.
My mom signs up for a lot of sketchy shit and has been pwned like 30 times across her emails.
A decent compromise might be to pick a short phrase she can remember, and make all her passwords that phrase+the name of the service.
Like her bank password would be "iloveop+bank", her Netflix would be iloveop+netflix", etc.
Any chance your mom knows how to work a spreadsheet? Mine is old school and just keeps an encrypted spreadsheet synced between her devices so that she only has to remember one password
Okay, now I am curious, how are password managers a pain in the ass to use? Mine has only made my life easier and better. Even my non-tech savvy wife (whose password was the "I forgot my password" button) uses bitwarden extremely smoothly. Her password game has made a full 180 with very little instruction from me.