Don't use this method to remember your passwords

No sooner did we post about the usefulness of cloud computing than one major provider of cloud computing to lawyers, Dropbox, has been hacked. Dropbox is cloud-based program that allows users to save and share files.  For small and solo firms, it is useful for sending large documents that are too unwieldy for e-mail, and for acting as a back-up for on-site data storage.  

So, a security breach is clearly a bad thing.  Dropbox, for its part, is doing what it can to prevent this from happening again.  

So what do you need to know to protect your information in Dropbox and other hopefully-secure sites?  The key is unique and functional passwords.  What you shouldn’t do is use the same password for multiple sites, and don’t keep a list of all your passwords conveniently saved on your computer.  There are numerous services that can save your passwords–you simply remember a master password, and they will keep the specific information.  Services like Lastpass  and 1Password will save your passwords, and provide a place to securely log in to other websites.   

Many websites, including this one, can evaluate the “crackability” of your current passwords.  Plug a few of your passwords in to see if they make the cut.