Taming the Login Beast White Papers - Litigation Support

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White Papers - Taming the Login Beast

	Taming the Login Beast ©2006, Mark Lieb, Ad Litem Consulting, Inc.
Synopsis	Today, we all have more than one website login to remember. From banking to travel to work, we all have multiple website logins to remember. At last count I had over 100. This may seem like a lot until you also consider logins for arts and entertainment, news, email accounts and every site that ever asked you to register first.

The Problem	Consider these questions - 1. How many web site logons do estimate you have; 2. Do you use the same username and password for every site 3. Does your browser automatically fill in login information; and 4. Does using a different PC make web site logons difficult? I belong to a lot of web sites that require a username and password. Some of these are financial, news and industry sites like Technolawyer.com, Lexis.com and LSVA.com. Today, all of us have multiple usernames and passwords for a wide range of sites that we visit either a few times a year or on a continuing basis. It is likely that each of us has forgotten at least one web site where we signed up long ago. Security experts tell us to use a unique password for each login. The more sites, usernames and passwords we acquire, the more we need to organize them. Keeping a list on a piece of paper, or in a text file is a risk. Using the same name and password every time is also a bad idea. After all, it only takes a moment to login and transfer money to another account. The best solution to this problem is one that provides the highest level of security and greatest amount of convenience to the user.

Best Practices	I don't believe in making life any harder than necessary. Software, such as AccountLogon, is one answer. It not only securely stores all of your logins, but will also log you into the sites. I still get a kick out of the login feature. The software opens a new browser window, navigates to the login page and logs me in. That is very convenient, and the data is secure. The software is free to try and sells for $25, providing for unlimited logins.

Encryption	Your data file, containing all those logins, must protect this highly sensitive information. AccountLogon data files are encrypted with a 448-bit, "blowfish," algorithm. This is "military grade," so without your master password, no one will access the contents of your data file. This means it is also safe to travel with your data file and take this convenience on the road. Simply store a copy of your data file and the software to a thumb drive to enjoy this easy access from anyone's machine. There is no need to copy the data file to the PC. You only need to install the software. If you happen to lose the USB drive containing your data file, your information is safe. Hopefully you have another copy or used the software to print a list for storage in a safe deposit box.

Alternatives	AccountLogon is not the only software title to address the login problem. "Password Safe" is an open source, free, alternative to AccountLogon. The software will also fill in web forms, although it seems less convenient to me at first glance. It is, however, free and uses the same security as AccountLogon. You can learn more or download the software by visiting https://sourceforge.net/projects/passwordsafe/.

Conclusion	This is an essential utility for anyone with a web site, username and password. If most of your form-filling requirements involve logging into Web sites, AutoLogon will save you countless keystrokes by doing the typing for you. Built-in security features keep your private information secret, without inconveniencing you in the process. The software also allows you to store notes and other sensitive information.

	ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark R. Lieb is the President of Ad Litem Consulting and author of the books, Litigation Support Department and Litigation Support Technical Standards. Mr. Lieb has provided Litigation Support to legal teams for cases ranging from small collections to multinational, multi-firm litigation, involving millions of pages of ediscovery. He currently consults with firms, law departments, service bureaus and software companies on litigation technology best practices. If you would like to learn more about using technology in litigation, please feel free to visit Ad Litem Consulting www.AdLitem.com or call (866) 477-4523.