Is Writing Down Passwords Safer? - The Security Checklist

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For your most sensitive accounts (banking, email, etc.), consider keeping passwords offline - either memorized or written down in a secure location.

The Contrarian View

For years, cybersecurity experts have advocated against writing down passwords, pushing instead for password managers as the secure solution. However, recent events have challenged this conventional wisdom. The repeated breaches of LastPass and other password managers have demonstrated that these centralized password vaults are prime targets for attackers.

The Case for Writing Down Passwords

Important: I only suggest writing down a few personal passwords (not work passwords) and storing them securely in a trusted, private location, like with your tax or legal documents. Remember, though, if your computer has a keylogger or you fall for a phishing scam, how you stored your password won’t matter: you’ll be handing it over anyway.

Consider the attack surface:

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Written by Daniel Oakley, 20+ years in cybersecurity, father of four.

Why Writing Down Passwords Might Be Safer Than Password Managers

The Contrarian View

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