I finally stopped using password managers after 3 years

I was one of those people who pushed password managers on everyone. LastPass got hacked back in 2022 and I didn't think much of it. But then my dad's account got hit through a compromised master password. Now I just use a notebook in my locked desk drawer at home. Has anyone else gone back to paper after a breach?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.felix9d ago

But isn't having one notebook just creating a single point of failure too, @west.claire? What if your house floods, there's a fire, or someone breaks in and snatches that locked box? After my dad's mess with LastPass I actually went the opposite direction - I moved everything into Bitwarden with a hardware security key for two-factor. That way even if someone guesses my master password they still can't get in without the physical key sitting on my keychain.

west.claire9d ago

A friend of mine had a similar scare with Bitwarden last year, and now she keeps her passwords in a little locked box under her bed. There was a piece on NPR about how physical security is often stronger than digital for average people like us, since hackers can't reach your notebook. I switched to a small index card system myself after reading that, and it feels a lot more straightforward. Storing it in a fire safe might be overkill, but it gives me peace of mind knowing I can't be locked out by some company's server going down.