I didn’t get notified in any way for this latest one. I looked at this website (it’s legit):
There’s this one, too:
That one gives me a lot more info about what data is out there. I see six entries with three former addresses on it (current address is not listed in my case.)
Thank you for these links @pulykamell !
It’s amazing how many people there are with the same name as mine, one who even shows an address in a small town I once lived in. It’s also interesting how pentester found all my previous addresses & phone #s except the current one.
That looks like it only discovers if your personal information was exposed in the National Public Data Breach, which you can easily check yourself in the original file which is like a rash all over the Internet, not any and all leaks which may be out there.
Let’s put it this way: in the past I have gotten letters from organizations stating that they were hacked and all their data stolen, but how many did not bother to inform victims or did not even know?
Yes. It’s not a universal tracker of any sort.
I’m reading reviews for password managers.
It’s so confusing. Google has one. But that means linking my Windows pc to Google. Chrome and Edge have one. But then your tied to those browsers.
I’ve used a hidden text file for years. That got me into trouble when my phone got hacked. I’ve thought about a file vault, but any files get shredded after multiple failed log in attempts.
Any recommendations for Android password managers? Bonus if Windows can use it too.
1Password and Bitwarden are both good. 1Password works well in Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
I’ve only used Bitwarden in Windows.
That’s the two password managers that I’m considering.
I’m watch reviews and setup videos to get a better understanding.
I remember in the late 80’s something like Gandalf45 was enough and it was used on several sites. Then we had to add special characters in the late 90’s.
Every few years passwords get more complex. Now they’re such gibberish they’re impossible to manually key in.
My VPN, PIA was driving me nuts getting it to accept a new password. No mater what scrambled letters I used. I finally realized the damn thing didn’t like me pasting from a temp work file.
It’s insane that some sites hide the password while you change it. How is anyone supposed to remember the scrambled letters they entered when they’re hidden? I have to type them in a temp text file and use copy/paste. Exit the text editor without saving.
Password managers seem to be necessary in 2024.
You can make up arbitrarily-complex passwords using only straightforward characters; e.g., empty-rosy-blabber-daunting-emerald
But you (or your dongle, or your password manager) still has to remember it.
I’ve done that. Or deliberately misspell a word. Autocorrect screws up that strategy.
I don’t trust biometrics. Get a callous on your finger and can’t login.
Maybe butthole biometrics can be a thing? 
I go old-fashioned on passwords, sort of. I throw together symbols, numbers, and characters randomly – e.g., goRP86ohNUG2 (not one I’m using) – a different mix for every site, and have a Word document printed out with all of them, alphabetically listed. Currently it’s three and a half pages, single-spaced. I store the list on a thumb drive which I connect to a computer only when updating and printing out.
Yes, I know, password managers are the way to go, but I worry I’d forget how to get into my password manager and be doomed.
Out of curiosity, do you ever use your phone to log into a website, like your bank, or the Dope?
Another option is KeePass, which I use because it was used at one of my jobs so I became familiar with it. It’s native to Windows, but there’s an Android app that will process the database.
The biggest downside — to some, not to me — is that it’s not cloud-based (I actually consider that an advantage). I keep the database on a local NAS and sync the one on the phone when I make changes.
Nope. I rarely turn my cellphone on, since I’ve kept my landline and navigate the Internet on one of my laptops or desktops. I do have email and Kindle on the cellphone to use when I’m waiting somewhere, with the password saved for those sites.
I have one desktop computer I use only for document storage and financial transactions, never for surfing the Web.
I use Bitwarden on Windows and on my Android phone. The two apps are substantially identical. No issues going back and forth.
Best of all Bitwarden has features to make it easy to link a logon entry to not only a web url, but to an Android app. So whether you’re using a browser to go to e.g. www.BankOfAmerica.com or you’re using the Bank of America app on your phone, Bitwarden reliably knows the same login record in your database applies to both. That experience was far more kludgy on my old solution: LastPass.
IMO, and having used these kinds of tools for several years, today it’s Bitwarden for the win.
one of my qualms with PW-managers is: what if they go bankrupt/bellyup?
… Going bankrupt in this business is like a waterproof watch … it is waterproof until it isn’t …iow an instant 0-to-1 flip.
So (somewhat of a nightmare scenario) … I try to log into my bank and the PW-M does no longer come up.
or am I too paranoid?
You are far too paranoid to the point of harming your own interests.
The data is on your machines and in your cloud account. The software is on your machine.
If the software seller goes bankrupt you are totally unaffected operationally. Except you just gained a new to-do item to export your data to e.g. CSV, pick a replacement app and import that data into it.
Unlike the completely opaque proprietary crap built into the various OSs & browsers.
I had to set up two biometrics logins on my phone for a similar reason. The skin on my index finger got so dry it cracked and my phone didn’t recognize my fingerprint. So now I have logins for both index fingers. No butthole though, that would be awkward when I have to use my phone at work.
Another vote here for KeePass or rather KeePassXC which works on Windows, MacOS and Linux (my primary OS). It uses the same encryption algorithm as KeePass so it can open the same password databases (assuming you know the password of course). They have a portable windows version so you can run it off a USB key which means you can have your passwords and password manager on a portable device. I started using it once the number of logins I had to make became more than I could reasonably remember.
//i\\