Is it safe to have this private info on computer?

[Goldy1]

I was at a buddy's house today. She was showing me how she has basically a long Word and excel document on her computer that has all her account info and passwords. She said it is so she has it all in one place.

I mean, she had credit card numbers, logins to investment accounts and other private info on it one would not want in the wrong hands.

I suggested she keep a paper file of this info like I do (I elimintate some info such as give myself password clues ie. fav food in French language lol).
Do you think I was wrong in suggesting this info not be stored on a computer?

[snafu]

Does she use a password to access account info, passwords, investment docu etc?
I hope her computer is not stolen. She shouldn't sell or donate her computer with all that stuff even if she has used a 'wash' to clear data.

The research suggests we are more vulnerable from careless handling of sensitive information by government, banks, and restaurants.

[poundwise]

It is definitely not safe. All of that information could be viewable by anyone with access, including being a dream come true to anyone who hacks in, and that's not even counting the fact that programs like Excel store information in temp files, etc.

Tell your friend to check out KeePass

Or, if she wants to keep using something simple, at least keep the file secure using something like Cryptainer

[Broken Arrow]

An even bigger concern in my opinion is that there is no mention of a file back-up scheme. These documents are too important to lose in the event of a hard drive failure.

Encryption and back-up USB flash drives (that you hide or put in a safe) should be adequate to meet both needs against both failures and theft.

[SacredFaerie]

Goldy, I've noticed something in your threads. You tend to throw out advice left and right. Sometimes it's best just to listen or let people talk. You have to avoid giving unwanted advice. It can damage relationships. Your friend isn't handling her information in the best way by any means but if it's what she wants to do she's gonna do it.

[MaxPowers]

I like KeePass.
Easy to use. I use it all the time for my personal and work passwords.

[vole]

I don't think there's any risk if she monitors the accounts on a regular basis.

Almost all the banks and credit cards are making such huge profits of online systems, they would cover any loss rather than admit that it's not secure.

The problem is reporting theft or error in a timely fashion. If the theft is discovered a year after it occurred, the money may be lost. Each institution gives a time limit to report errors but even that isn't rigid.

More serious, and more of a chore than real loss, is identity theft from her personal data. And most of that is already out in the world to be lost by major companies, like Blue Shield, TJ Max, and many more. I just did a search to list some more and there were just too many:

A Chronology of Data Breaches

It's like so many other things, what are the risks vs benefits.

What are the chances of an actual thief getting hold of the data, compared to the work of storing the data in a less convenient form. Will she really suffer a loss if a thief gets the info?

-Dave

[George23]

Not a smart idea. I use PassPack.com. All of the passwords are encrypted and never even stored in unencrypted form on PassPack's servers.