1password

If you use Mac OS X, add the following line to your .bash_profile:

Whenever you need a password (like when you're registering a new account or resetting your password because yet another online service you used was hacked), just fire up the Terminal and type in passme. Then paste the password that's copied to your clipboard into the password fields, and into your password manager (I use 1Password).

This alias simply uses openssl to generate a random base64-encoded string with 48 characters (you can change that value to whatever you want). If the online service you use doesn't allow 48 characters in the password field, you should file a support request with that online service, telling them they're being silly only allowing X characters in a password.

In light of the many high-profile hacking cases that have recently exposed millions and millions of user passwords (LinkedIn, Sony, etc.), I thought I would write down my password management practices, and some practical thoughts for others looking to secure their access to various online services.

Shared Passwords (major no-no)

For a long time, I had three passwords: a weak, eight-character password that I'd use on forums and places I didn't really care about. I had a ten-character password with a number, a capital letter, and a symbol, for medium security (like sites that had my credit card in my account). And I had a fourteen-character password which was truly random (generated by Keychain Access on my Mac) for a couple services that I needed to be extremely secure.

But, none of these passwords are truly adequate nowadays—especially since I reused the passwords on a variety of sites and services! Additionally, I often had trouble remembering which password I used on what site, and had to try all three before successfully logging in.