Why I finally ditched password managers for handwritten notes

I used to trust LastPass with everything - had 200+ passwords in there from work logins to my bank. Then their breach in 2022 hit and I spent a weekend changing every single password, wondering who else had access. Now I keep a small notebook in my fireproof safe with logins written down, and I only use unique passphrases for important stuff. Took me about 3 hours to set up that system, but I sleep way better now. Anyone else gone back to paper after a bad experience with digital vaults?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_brown501mo ago

I switched to a notebook after Bitwarden had that outage in 2021 and I couldn't get into my bank account for an entire day. My system is simple - I use a hardcover ruled notebook with a red cover so it stands out in the safe. I write the service name, the username or email, and then a long passphrase like "MyDogAteMyHomeworkIn1998!" instead of random gibberish. The trick is to update it every three months when I check on my accounts, and I keep a scanned copy in a sealed envelope at my parents house as backup.

hugo8251mo ago

Wait, you keep a scanned copy in a sealed envelope at your parents' house... @xena_brown50, that actually makes me nervous just thinking about it. What if they go to grab something else from the safe and the envelope gets mixed up or they accidentally toss it during spring cleaning? I'd be way too paranoid about that... my notebook system already has me checking it twice a week to make sure I didn't lose it.