Passwords have become a truly maddening aspect of modern life, but with this book, you can discover how the experts handle all manner of password situations, including multi-factor authentication that can protect you even if your password is hacked or stolen.
The book explains what makes a password secure and helps you create a strategy that includes using a password manager, working with oddball security questions like “What is your pet’s favorite movie?”, and making sure your passwords are always available when needed.
Bundle special! Save 33% when you buy this along with Take Control of 1Password for just $20.
Joe helps you choose a password manager (or switch to a better one) in a chapter that discusses desirable features and describes nine different apps, with a focus on those that work in macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. The book also looks at how you can audit your passwords to keep them in tip-top shape, use two-step verification and two-factor authentication, and deal with situations where a password manager can’t help.
New in the Fourth Edition is complete coverage of passkeys, which offer a way to log in without passwords and are rapidly gaining popularity—but also come with a new set of challenges and complications. The book also now says more about passcodes for mobile devices.
An appendix shows you how to help a friend or relative set up a reasonable password strategy if they’re unable or unwilling to follow the recommended security steps, and an extended explanation of password entropy is provided for those who want to consider the math behind passwords.
“Awesome. You did an amazing job breaking it down. This should be mandatory reading.” –Rich Mogull, CEO at Securosis
This book shows you exactly why:
- 9-character passwords with upper- and lowercase letters, digits, and punctuation are not strong enough.
- You cannot turn a so-so password into a great one by tacking a punctuation character and number on the end.
- It is not safe to use the same password everywhere, even if it’s a great password.
- A password is not immune to automated cracking because there’s a delay between login attempts.
- Even if you’re an ordinary person without valuable data, your account may still be hacked, causing you problems.
- You cannot manually devise “random” passwords that will defeat potential attackers.
- Just because a password doesn’t appear in a dictionary, that does not necessarily mean that it’s adequate.
- It is not a smart idea to change your passwords every month.
- Truthfully answering security questions like “What is your mother’s maiden name?” does not keep your data more secure.
- Adding a character to a 10-character password does not make it 10% stronger.
- Easy-to-remember passwords like “correct horse battery staple” will not solve all your password problems.
- All password managers are not pretty much the same.
- Passkeys are beginning to make inroads, and may one day replace most—but not all!—of your passwords.
- Your passwords will not be safest if you never write them down and keep them only in your head.
But don’t worry, the book also teaches you a straightforward strategy for handling your passwords that will keep your data safe without driving you batty.
“Joe handles a confusing and scary subject more clearly and calmly than I would have thought possible. I’ll be recommending this book to just about everybody I know.” –William Porter, database developer, author, photographer
Take Control publisher Joe Kissell has written more than 60 books about technology, including many popular Take Control books. He formerly wrote for publications such as Macworld, Wirecutter, and TidBITS. He lives in Saskatoon with his wife and their two sons.
What’s New in Version 4.1
Version 4.1 updates the book to cover changes in operating systems, browsers, and third-party password managers since mid-2023. The biggest theme in all those areas was increased support for passkeys. Major changes in this book include:
- Added passkey support to the “Features to Look For” list
- Updated “Example Password Managers” with the current details for each password manager, and added a new one: Proton Pass
- Revised “Operating System & Browser Integration” and “Syncing Passkeys Across Devices” with more up-to-date details, especially about passkey handling
- Removed information on Twitter’s two-factor authentication from “Appendix A: Use Two-Factor Authentication”
What Was New in the Fourth Edition
Since the previous edition of this book, the topic of password security had grown considerably more complex. Version 4.0 updated the book to cover the latest technologies, including the following significant changes:
- Updated “Usernames and Passwords: an Outdated Model” with information on passkeys, magic links (see the sidebar “What About Magic Links?”), and software changes.
- Mentioned Sign in with Apple and Hide My Email in “Should Usernames Be Unique and Random Too?.”
- Added a new topic that addresses the normally short, numeric passcodes used to unlock phones and tablets; see “What About Mobile Device Passcodes?.”
- In “Physical Keys,” I now discuss newer security key variants.
- Thoroughly updated “Example Password Managers” to cover the latest app versions, capabilities, and prices. I also updated the “Missing Managers” sidebar to talk about why some password managers no longer appear in the book, and I added an entirely new sidebar to more fully explain the situation with LastPass; see “The Decline and Fall of LastPass.”
- Removed the topic “Use Wireless Networks Safely,” which was too tangential to the topic of the book, and didn’t accurately reflect modern security norms.
- Added a big new chapter, “Authenticate Without Passwords,” that provides detailed information on passkeys—the up-and-coming technology that may eventually replace passwords for good.
Posted by Joe Kissell on June 26, 2023
Joe Kissell joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to talk about Take Control of Your Passwords, Fourth Edition.
In part one, Joe discusses the continuing importance of good passwords and what’s going on with passkeys, which promise one day to replace passwords.
In part two, Joe talks more about passkeys and discusses mobile device security.
Posted by Joe Kissell on August 8, 2021
Once again, Joe Kissell joined Chuck Joiner on MacVoices to discuss passwords in the context of his recently updated books Take Control of Your Passwords version 3.2 and Take Control of 1Password, Fifth Edition.
In part one, Joe talks about passwords generally, including changes that may affect your overall password strategy.
In part two, Joe covers some of the new features in 1Password.
Posted by Michael E. Cohen on March 30, 2016
Joe and Chuck Joiner of MacVoices sit down for a wide-ranging chat about the new edition of this book and the state of passwords in this age of multi-factor authentication, password entropy, and password managers. They discuss all the myriad ways you can improve your personal online security without having to create and memorize a new password like R>preVckEf7*fh% every few weeks.
Posted by Adam Engst on April 15, 2014
For anyone who is wondering, neither the Take Control Web site nor the eSellerate ecommerce site that we use for purchases were ever vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug, so you don’t need to worry about the security of your Take Control transactions or account information. There’s no reason to change your Take Control password either, although it’s always a good idea to do that if your current password is weak.
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