Unpopular opinion: I ditched password managers for a hardware key setup

Everyone in this community swears by password managers like they're the only way to stay safe online. But I got tired of relying on a single vault that could get compromised or lock me out. About 6 months ago, I switched to using a YubiKey for my main accounts and a physical notebook for the rest. Yeah, it feels old school, but I sleep better knowing my passwords aren't stored in the cloud anywhere. The catch is I have to manually type in longer ones for less important sites, but that's like 3 extra seconds. Has anyone else gone back to basics with hardware keys instead of a manager? I'm curious if I'm just being paranoid or if others see the same risks I do.

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_johnson5120d ago

Oh man, I went through the same thing last year with my YubiKey. I got so tired of worrying about LastPass getting hacked again so I just went full hardware key and a tiny notebook I keep in my desk drawer. It's not as smooth but I honestly feel way more in control.

the_anthony20d ago

Wait, you keep a notebook in your desk drawer? Like, with all your passwords written down? That actually freaks me out a little. I mean, I get the appeal of not trusting the cloud after the LastPass mess, but a physical book seems just as risky. What if someone finds it or your desk gets cleaned out? No judgement, genuinely curious how you handle that.

wendyg4320d ago

Right, but is it really that serious though? @kim_johnson51 I feel like people worry way too much about this stuff, I've been using the same password manager for years and nothing's happened.