C'YaPass: Forget All Your Passwords

Never Memorize A Password Again
Never Type A Password Again
Never Make Up A Password Again

Hey, Passwords, Leave Those Kids Alone (Gen Z aka Post-Millennials)

Generation Z (aka Post-Millennials) are not bothered by passwords at all.  They simply create one and use it everywhere.

In an earlier blog entry ( Why Did I Create C'YaPass? Who Will Use It?^ ) I told the story of my son's friend (a Gen Z'er) who explained that she uses the same password everywhere.  She admitted to being hacked and it was meaningless to her.  

Yesterday I was discussing C'YaPass usage tests with one of my angel investors who is also a teacher at a college prep school.   He said, 

I had one of my students try C'YaPass.  The student told me the software worked great and that he really liked it and thought it was easy to use.  

I was smiling and happy to hear that, but I could hear the hesitation in his voice and knew he was about to reveal a large but...

My friend continued : 

The student also said, "kids my age will never use that tool though, because we just enter some random characters and use the same password everywhere."

This may also answer the question that everyone has about how one billion Yahoo! accounts were hacked^.

I Understand The Sentiment

I understand the sentiment expressed by the student.  I have two children of my own who are GenZers and they basically feel the same way about passwords.  Of course, I've basically driven them crazy with all my talk about how their weak passwords will be hacked.  

There Are Many Reasons To Not Use C'YaPass

Here are some reasons that you may not want to use C'YaPass

  1. You will have to download the iPhone/iPad or Android app and install it.  You will also, most likely want to get the Windows version and install it.  That will probably take you 5 or 10 minutes.  Gen Z isn't interested in that.
  2. You will have to change passwords on your accounts to use the new strong passwords which are generated by C'YaPass.  That's work and a bother for a lot of people.
  3. You will have to change your thinking.  Where you normally type your passwords (often on a onscreen keyboard with your thumbs) you will now make sure C'YaPass is open and have it generate your password so you can paste it into the password box.
  4. Maybe you're afraid that C'YaPass stores your passwords or transmits them across the Internet?  It does neither of those things. It does not store your passwords anywhere and it transmits nothing across the Internet.

There Are A Few Great Reasons For Using C'YaPass

  1. You will never have to type a password again.  Instead you draw your pattern once and choose your site/key and your password is generated and copied into your device's clipboard.  From there, you simply paste it into the password box.  Very easy.
  2. You will never have to memorize a password again.  Instead, simply create your site/keys, draw your pattern and C'YaPass generates your password.  No memorization required.
  3. You will never have to make up a password again.  C'YaPass generates strong passswords for your unique pattern and each of your unique site/keys.  If you need a new password for a new site, just add the site/key and you'll have a new password.
  4. Your passwords will be far stronger than anything you can make up.

Convince Gen Z

Try everything you can to convince your Gen-Zers to use C'YaPass. It will help to keep them more safe and it really isn't too much more difficult than making up their own random password.

Get the app or try it in your browser


Try It In Your Browser


Here's where you can get the iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows versions.
iOS / iPhone / iPad

The iOS (iPhone / iPad) version is available for the first time today (12.08.2016) in the App Store at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyapass/id1183137527?mt=8^

Android

You can also get the Android version in the Google Play store at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.raddev.cyapass^

Windows 

You can get the Windows version here at this site (just click the Get C'YaPass menu or follow this link: http://cyapass.com/page/get-c-yapass^

One Billion Yahoo! Accounts Hacked: What Does It Mean?

The New York Times headline shouts, Yahoo Says 1 Billion User Accounts Were Hacked^, but what does that mean?

First of all this hack dates back to September, 2013, so there's no way to unscramble these eggs.  If the data in your Yahoo! account has been compromised I suppose you have to protect yourself from every angle now.  If you had documents that reveal more about your identity in there then the hackers may know a lot about you.

Yahoo! says that the following items were exposed:

  1. account telephone numbers
  2. encrypted passwords
  3. birth dates associated with account
  4. plaintext security questions 
Let's talk a bit about number two from that list, encrypted passwords.

Encrypted Passwords : MD5 Hash

The encrypted passwords as Yahoo! calls them are actually MD5 hashes of the account's password.  It is similar (but much older and proven in the past to be insecure) to SHA-256 hash.  Modern computing power makes it possible to hack many of these passwords in a short time through brute-force attacks.  I've written about brute-force attacks here and you can read more about it at: ( http://cyapass.com/post/how-hackers-crack-passwords-part-1 ) 

Making the Brute-Force Attack Impossible

However, even with the older MD5 hash technology being implemented, if your account password was not based upon natural language words (words you'd find in a dictionary) then your account will probably be safe. If your password for your Yahoo! account was one generated by C'YaPass for example (64 characters long and based upon random letters and numbers) it is close to impossible for hackers to crack it even with the older MD5 technology so you'd probably be safe.  

Don't Need To Be Faster Than the Tiger

The important thing is that you'd be more safe.  Your passwords just need to be stronger than all the other people's then you're safe.  You don't have to be faster than the tiger.  Just faster than the people you're running with.  :)

Yahoo! Does Something Smart, But Is It Too Late?

Of course, now Yahoo! finally reacts and does something useful.   They created Yahoo! Account Key (see more at: https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN25781.html^)

What Does Yahoo! Account Key Do?

This method allows you to sign on without using a password.  You simply set up a phone number that Yahoo! will send a notification to each time you attempt to sign on.  When you attempt to sign on to your Yahoo! account the message will popup on your phone and only if you acknowledge it will you be logged in on the other device.
You can watch the video that shows it in action:


Fewer Is Better

The fewer passwords you have, the better.  That's a great way to create a secure sign in and it means less passwords for you to memorize.  However, this only works with Yahoo! accounts at this point.  Maybe this is the way the industry will go, but for now you can't use this technology anywhere else.  And, since a lot of users will migrate away from Yahoo! it may be far too little, too late.

Until Passwords Are Dead, Make Them Stronger

Until passwords are completely destroyed, you must make them stronger.  You really should make them so strong that you cannot even memorize them.  How can you do that?  Just let C'YaPass generate them for you.
Get the app or try it in your browser.

Try It In Your Browser

Here's where you can get the iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows versions.
iOS / iPhone / iPad

The iOS (iPhone / iPad) version is available for the first time today (12.08.2016) in the App Store at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyapass/id1183137527?mt=8^

Android

You can also get the Android version in the Google Play store at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.raddev.cyapass^

Windows 

You can get the Windows version here at this site (just click the Get C'YaPass menu or follow this link: http://cyapass.com/page/get-c-yapass^

It's Not Difficult, But It Is Different

Using C'YaPass is extremely easy.  It's far easier than memorizing and making up your own passwords.

However, it may feel difficult at first because it's a change to the way you do things.

Resisting Change Is Part of the Human Condition

The challenge in front of me, as the author of C'YaPass, is to get people to change the way they've been working with their passwords for years.  It's not easy and I get it.  I understand that change is intrusive.  

Changing Current Passwords

Yes, if you use C'YaPass to generate a password for one of your current accounts it means you'll have to change your password on that account.  That's actually the entire point of C'YaPass.  The point is to allow C'YaPass to generate strong passwords for your accounts.  

One At a Time

As I've mentioned before, the easiest way to begin using C'YaPass is to ease into it by trying it for one account.  So, maybe you're a long time password user and you are resistant.  That's fine.  I understand.  But think about who can really benefit from using C'YaPass.

Who Stands to Benefit the Most From C'YaPass?

For those users who haven't been typing passwords for five, ten or twenty years, C'YaPass is going to seem obvious.  Imagine a new computer user (probably a child of eight or ten years) who is forced to make up a password.  Do you think that child is going to know how to create a strong password?  Probably not. 

Use C'YaPass For New Computer Users : Children

Introduce the child to C'YaPass now, before she learns all the bad habits of creating and managing passwords that most of us have learned.  It really makes sense.  

Managing Passwords For Your Family

There is an advantage to you also.  With C'YaPass you can more easily manage all of your child's passwords in one place making it much easier to log into  your child's accounts when necessary.
It's Extremely Easy
Let's try it in your browser right now.  Just click the following link and you can try it in another tab as you read this article: http://cyapass.com/js/cya.htm^

Now all you have to do is :
  1. add a site/key (just some text to remind you what the password is used for)
  2. draw a pattern
  3. *copy and paste the password where you want to use it
*note: In the Android, iOS, and Windows app the copy is automatically done for you.  However, there are limitations on the browser to do this easily.  The browser version is just to provide you with an easy way to try the app.



Once You've Tried It, Get The App On All Your Devices

Now you can get the app for all your devices for free.

Here's where you can get the iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows versions.
iOS / iPhone / iPad

The iOS (iPhone / iPad) version is available for the first time today (12.08.2016) in the App Store at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyapass/id1183137527?mt=8^

Android

You can also get the Android version in the Google Play store at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.raddev.cyapass^

Windows 

You can get the Windows version here at this site (just click the Get C'YaPass menu or follow this link: http://cyapass.com/page/get-c-yapass^

Try C'YaPass In Your Browser


Now you can try C'YaPass in your web browser before you download the iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows versions.

Open up your favorite web browser, simply navigate over to the C'YaPass official web site to the following link : http://cyapass.com/js/cya.htm^

The app runs as a pure HTML5 app (HTML, JavaScript, CSS) so there is no special plugin or Adobe Flash required.

Here's a snapshot of what you'll see:


Web App Site/Keys Only Stored Locally

Any site/keys that you add are only stored locally within your browser's localStorage.  The password is generated in your browser client and never transferred across the Internet.  This is a client-side app so you do not have to worry about your site/keys being stolen.  

LocalStorage Browser & Site Specific

However, LocalStorage is browser and site specific. That means you cannot get to these site keys from any other browser you may use.  For example, if you add keys to Chrome then you'll always have to use Chrome to get to those again. If you happen to open the page in Microsoft Edge later, you will see that the site/keys are empty.  You can add them to Edge manually, of course.

LocalStorage is also tied to the base URL also and this helps protect your data from being read by other web sites.

Try It In Your Browser, Download the Mobile App

Once you've tried it in your browser you will surely want to get the Mobile app for all your phones and devices.  Here's where you can get the iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows versions.
iOS / iPhone / iPad

The iOS (iPhone / iPad) version is available for the first time today (12.08.2016) in the App Store at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyapass/id1183137527?mt=8^

Android

You can also get the Android version in the Google Play store at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.raddev.cyapass^

Windows 

You can get the Windows version here at this site (just click the Get C'YaPass menu or follow this link: http://cyapass.com/page/get-c-yapass^

Technology & the Human Condition

It's that time of the year again when magazines start rolling out their predictions of the future.

Although these articles sometimes get things right, they are more often incorrect when we look back and reflect upon their predictions.

The Future & The Human Condition

Often, when they are wrong it is because the prediction ignores some basic knowledge of the human condition. For example, humans like to eat tasty foods and flavor drives appetite.  

Future Food

However, a lot of predictions from the past centered around future people eating "nourishing meals" that contain scientifically formulated sustenance.

Here's a good example of one of those types of additives that never quite took off.


(image from  : http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/g462/future-that-never-was-next-gen-tech-concepts/^)

Mmm...yum, an abundance of vitamins.  :)

Changing Travel

Here's another one that seems to forget the basic human condition. 


(image from : http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/g462/future-that-never-was-next-gen-tech-concepts/^)

That is very possibly a far better idea than driving around in cars. However, most people aren't going to submit to be stuck into a cramped little tube and shot around the city.  A large number of people are claustrophobic and wouldn't go anywhere near these.  But, even for people who don't have claustrophobia, the possibility of getting stuck in the tube sounds quite awful.

Technology fails when it forgets the human condition.

You can see many more of the predictions (clothing made from asbestos, personal helicoptiers, accurate weather prediction and more) in the Popular Mechanics article^

It Is the Same For Software

If software is so inhuman that using it is an exercise of complete frustration people won't use it.

Passwords are moving to a place where they are becoming completely overwhelming.  A human can only remember so many passwords. Unfortunately, as passwords have become overwhelming many people have simply given up on making them strong.  Instead they follow numerous bad practices such as:

  1. using the same password for many (or all) accounts
  2. create weak (easy to remember) passwords
  3. write them on sticky notes and keep them near their computers
  4. write them in notebooks

The Creation of C'YaPass

That's why I created C'YaPass.  To make it far easier to make all your passwords strong.
If you'll try it, I believe you'll find it is actually easier than storing them in a notebook or making up passwords of your own.  Of course, C'YaPass is free for your use and you can get it for iPhone/iPad, Android and Windows.  

Windows 

You can get the Windows version here at this site (just click the Get C'YaPass menu or follow this link: http://cyapass.com/page/get-c-yapass^

iOS / iPhone / iPad

The iOS (iPhone / iPad) version is available for the first time today (12.08.2016) in the App Store at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyapass/id1183137527?mt=8^

Android

You can also get the Android version in the Google Play store at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.raddev.cyapass^

Ease Into the Easiest Way of Dealing With Passwords

If you decide to try C'YaPass, you do not have to immediately migrate all of your accounts to use the app.  You do not have to use C'YaPass for every account that you use.  Instead, you can try it with one password and see if it makes things easier for you.

Once you no longer have to type that password I'm sure you'll be convinced, as I have, that using C'YaPass is far easier than memorizing and typing all those passwords you have to deal with.

Your Passwords Are NOT Stored Anywhere (For Your Protection)

Keep in mind that your password is never stored anywhere.  Not on your device, not in the app and not in The Cloud either.  Instead, with C'YaPass your password is always generated.  You can read more about that on this site.

Some Passwords May Be Easier To Type

Maybe you have one particular site that you log into to numerous times a day.  Maybe you decide you'd rather  type that one each time.  With C'YaPass you can do that.  You can allow C'YaPass to manage any number of your accounts : you can try it with one, a few, many or all of them.  

Everything You Need

All you need is the application available to you one each of your devices. 

Of course, C'YaPass is free on all three major platforms (Windows, iOS, Android).

Multiple Devices, Just Download To Each One

If you have multiple devices, that's okay too, just download the free app for each of your devices.

I have it installed on my laptop (my main computer), my Kindle Fire, my Samsung (Android phone) and my iPad Mini 3.

Here are the links so you can easily get the software.

Windows 

You can get the Windows version here at this site (just click the Get C'YaPass menu or follow this link: http://cyapass.com/page/get-c-yapass^

iOS / iPhone / iPad

The iOS (iPhone / iPad) version is available for the first time today (12.08.2016) in the App Store at:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cyapass/id1183137527?mt=8^

Android

You can also get the Android version in the Google Play store at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=us.raddev.cyapass^