One answer is the password safe. I cannot sing the praises of these apps loud enough. Simple and inexpensive, they store log-in information in a secure, encrypted file, allowing system administrators to enforce very stringent rules for security while minimizing the impact on the end user. The user still must remember a single password to open the safe itself, but because it is never transmitted over a network, it is far more secure than most. A safe of some sort should be a standard part of every desktop install.
End users see security as a hassle, an obstacle between themselves and their computers.
But left to their own devices, they inevitably will expose their passwords to attack. My password is on the wall. HP has rolled the dice. Now it's a question whether the throw pays off or sends the company to the poor house. Columnist Charles Cooper weighs in.