lockitLogoThese days there are so many sites that ask you to create a user id and password that it’s almost impossible to keep track of each one of them in your head.  You could use the trick one password for all sites and that solves the memory problem for you.  However if the bad guys get a hold of that one password you have just given them the keys the kingdom and you have way more problems than just remembering a password.  You could alternate between 3 to 5 passwords and that also is easier to remember.  However it’s really not that simple to remember what site has what password and once again it’s still not that secure.  If anyone knows all your chosen passwords you are done! The experts say to use a mixture of letters, numbers, special characters, and make each password 8 to 15 characters in length, something this: 234dife09349 or this: #$dfiwog00!!. Can you imagine remembering those? I definitely can’t!  Another theory  is to use a series of words that don’t usually go together in a phrase that makes no sense. Like 4 to 6 words in length makes it very hard to figure out.  Something like this: “onioncarswhipicecreamgliders” or this: “dogminusemeraldlightbuzzard”.  These types of passwords sound silly but they are harder to break because they have more characters to hack.  Imagine having one of these passwords for all 25-35 sites you log into in a day.  It’s impossible to remember either way you try it!  That leads me to getting a password manager app. One such app that works very well for managing passwords is “LockIt”.  LockIt helps users manage passwords for all types of sites, accounts, and more.  Lets check it out!

With LockIt users can manage the accounts of banks, contacts, credit cards, ID’s, memberships, product keys, rewards programs, and websites. From this list alone you can see that it’s a very comprehensive app.  Users can also create uncategorized entries as well for those items that don’t quite fit into a category on the list.  What’s really cool is entering passwords for specific accounts is made super simple because there are a ton of company logo’d entry categories to choose from.  For example I bank with Wells Fargo.  I can log into LockIt, go to the “Bank Accounts” section on the menu, and tap the Wells Fargo logo to enter my banks personal information.  I can even use LockIt to generate my password because it has an awesome strong password generator built in.  Once it’s in it’s locked up nice and secure.  With LockIt I can store my email, Facebook, Twitter, and other such id’s by simply going to the websites section and then tapping on the logo for each site I want to store. I can even add my own login to the list if the icon for the one I want isn’t there.  The great thing is there are 60 sites on the list to start with so it’s very likely you will find the one you want right from the start.

When dealing with something as important as a password manager people tend to ask what kind of security does the app have.  I’m not expert in password app security so I had to trust the developers information on their iTunes page.  So here is what it says:

OUR SECURITY
– Military-grade AES 256-bit encryption protects your private information
– Your master password and encryption key are never stored so only you have access to your information
– Remotely wipe any device that is ever lost or stolen
– Self-destruct allows you to delete all data on your device after 10 failed login attempts
– Two-factor authentication securely authorizes new devices
– Industry-leading 50,000+ iterations of PBKDF2 prevents unauthorized access and brute-force attacks

Want to learn more? Download the free app and give it a try (it only take 15 seconds to set up), browse our Learning Centre, follow us on TwitterFacebook and LinkedIn and tell us what you think. We look forward to hearing from you and keeping you up to date as we grow.

Written by: John McNamara

Cyber Monday is Nov. 30 – one of the busiest online shopping days of the year. Here are 6 tips for protecting your identity – and your bank account – this holiday shopping season.

passwords we all use

Let’s face it – these days, many people do most of their shopping from the comfort of home. The world of online retail is brimming with great deals and discounts – and of course, free shipping!!

Unfortunately, for all its perks, online shopping also has its pitfalls. Unscrupulous vendors and identity thieves troll cyberspace for unknowing consumers, waiting for them to fall into avoidable traps that compromise their personal information.

This holiday season, remember: A password that can be remembered is a password that can be cracked. Your five- to 15-character password is all that stands between you and the criminals lurking in cyberspace. So take a few minutes to do a password checkup and ensure you follow these 6 tips for keeping your information safe online.

1. CREATE UNIQUE PASSWORDS FOR EACH APPLICATION

We are all suffering from information overload these days and it is tempting to simplify life by using the same username/password combination for multiple sites. But passwords are one situation where recycling is not a virtue. When you reuse the same password, you run the risk of giving cyber criminals carte blanche to run riot through your affairs. So DON’T use the same password for more than one purpose. Selecting unique passwords for your email, social media, banking and other online activities will help stop hackers in their tracks.

2. CHOOSE COMPLEX PASSWORDS

It’s human nature for us to base passwords on the meaningful words or events or relationships in our lives. It’s also a mistake. If your password can be found in a common dictionary, then it will never hold up against someone trying to crack it. DO NOT use your partner’s, pet’s, or child’s name. It’s the same information you share openly with friends and even complete strangers who might stumble across your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts.

You may be surprised to learn that the top 5 most commonly used passwords are 123456, password, letmein, qwerty, and 1234567. Even creating a password that substitutes letters for symbols, like “@“ instead of “a” or “0” instead of “o” may not be safe. Instead, we suggest creating a wholly random string of letters, symbols and numbers to keep identity thieves in the dark.

3. KEEP A WATCHFUL EYE ON YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNTS

Don’t wait for your bank statements to arrive in the mail in order to review your account balances. Make it a habit, especially during the holiday season, to check your accounts using online banking every couple of days. Look for any unusual activity that you don’t recognize. If something stands out as fraudulent, call your bank immediately and have them address the issue right away.

4. ONLY SHOP ON SECURE SITES

If you do decide to wander off the beaten path in search of that great deal, make sure the site you’re visiting is secure. How? Look for an icon of a padlock, usually located beside the website address (URL). This is an indication that the website uses SSL (secure socket layer) to protect you – the consumer – when you purchase anything from that site.

5. DON’T SAVE PERSONAL INFORMATION TO WEBSITES

Ever click on “Save my Password” while in a browser? Although this appears to solve the problem of remembering you password, it’s also a great way to expose all your passwords to anyone who has access to your computer.

It may be convenient, but convenience is the enemy when it comes to passwords. Gaining access to saved passwords in the browser is dangerously easy. All it takes is to follow a few simple steps in the “inspect element” view to expose what was once a secure password.

6. WATCH YOUR PAPER TRAIL

Also be aware that a criminal’s first look at your sensitive personal information may come from the garbage you just tossed into a dumpster. Thieves are continuously prowling high-end neighbourhoods looking for information that has been disposed of improperly, such as billing information, financial statements, expired passports, and other pieces of ID. It might be in your trash or simply behind an unlocked door. In this case, a good shredder is your best friend.

A final thought: Treat passwords like your toothbrush. Don’t share them with anyone and make sure to change them every six months.

— Robert Di Manno, co-founder of Lockit Solutions Inc.

Lockit Solutions is a Canadian company that provides secure, cloud-based storage for your passwords, personal information and precious documents. Learn more about our Lockit Password Manager and Digital Safe.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and tell us what you think.

Introducing the Lockit Password Manager and Digital Safe, the #1 password manager on Apple’s Canadian app store.

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How important is your privacy? How safe is your bank account? Most of us store personal and private information not far from roving eyes. Our wallets, filing cabinets and desktop computers may seem like good places to keep private information, but in fact they’re the first places criminals will look when trying to steal your identity and your money.

Most of us already suffer from information overload, and the myriad passwords and usernames we need to remember just adds to the burden. Lockit Solutions Inc. was created out of our frustration in searching for an ideal solution to password management at a time when attacks on personal information are only getting more sophisticated and virulent – from thieves who go through dumpsters looking for credit card statements to ransomware and major data breaches at top retailers.

So, we sat down and rolled up our sleeves and went to work. The result is the Lockit Digital Safe, a simple, intuitively organized and highly secure way to protect and keep track of all your passwords, user names and account numbers. The Lockit Digital Safe combines AES 256-bit encryption (used by banks and government organizations) with an easy-to-use interface for the entire Apple product ecosystem, from the iPhone to the MacBook Pro to the Apple Watch. It’s like putting your information through a shredder. Fifty thousand times. (Learn more about Lockit security features.)

Imagine never having to remember passwords, account numbers or credit card info ever again, while having complete confidence that your private info will stay private. No more password lists stuffed in notebooks and filing cabinets! In fact, Lockit will create complex passwords for you, quickly customizable by number of characters, symbols, numbers and upper- and lower-case characters.

And why stop there? With Lockit, you can also safely store your private files, photos and much more, allowing you to eliminate as much of the paper trail as possible.

From PIN codes and passwords to financial documents, passports and your child’s birth certificate, knowing this information is in one secure pace is a sure-fire way to cut stress from your life. Think of it as a 21st century safe deposit box in the cloud.

And for more peace of mind: As the account holder, only you have “the keys” to gain access to your information. Lockit employees are unable to view, retrieve or reset any account information, including passwords. If an unauthorized device attempts to gain access, Lockit will notify you and deny entry to the unauthorized device. All data is encrypted using security methods employed by military agencies, and if a device goes missing or is stolen, your data can be remotely erased.

We think that’s why Lockit has been #1 on Apple’s Canadian app store for some time now.

“Lockit’s app was free and easy to install on my iPhone. I was quickly able to place all the passwords on sticky notes cluttering my desk into this app. I liked that there were places for me to enter login information and passwords for pretty much anything – my bank, email accounts, and social media accounts, to name a few. Definitely an app that I’ll be recommending to my friends.” – Angela L.

Want to learn more? Download the free app and give it a try (it only take 15 seconds to set up), browse our Learning Centre, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and tell us what you think. We look forward to hearing from you and keeping you up to date as we grow.

— Robert Di Manno and Keith Domenicucci, co-founders of Lockit Solutions Inc.

Our team at Lockit couldn’t be any more excited to share our new blog with you!

Our goal is to provide you with a wealth of information by highlighting the issues surrounding securing your personal information online. This is what motivates us at Lockit.

Explore and enjoy what our blog has to offer. We encourage you to keep in contact with us, as your questions and comments fuel the content we create. Follow us along our journey as we intend to change the way we store our personal information.

Make sure to stay up to date by following us on Facebook and Twitter – and don’t forget to share us with your friends.

Thanks for reading!

The Lockit Team