I suppose it depends on what kind of "hacking" is involved. If you've been infected with a keylogger, I wouldn't regard anything as safe even if you are offline. It will phone home when you do go online.

If you are up-to-date with your Windows security updates and the Office security updates you need not be concerned. If a user overly worries about keyloggers then we all might as well just turn the systems off and stay off the Web. Be aware of them, but don't let their existence dictate your use.

When you talk about security, the only "silly" question is the one you don't ask. You keep asking.

DA

That's a silly question that you asked. :-)

Here is a silly solution:
Since you are never sure when and if your puter is infected, you can develop your own encrytion sytem like spelling backwards, adding extra letters, etc. Use your imagination.

dcarch

one case where you can be at risk is if you are on an unsecured wireless network which someone could invade.

As to your security if you use a good layered approach and use these programs on a regular updated basis you are doing a good job in keeping your self protected.
malwarebytes antimalware
superantispyware
spywareblaster
secunia software inspector tool to check for updates
windows updates
firewall enabled
and hopefully behind a router which is secure and has an enabled firewall.
and of course a good updated antivirus program

if you need links to any of those free programs just let us know.

If the documents created offline which list the passwords are on your computer, they are vulnerable to hacking. (The real risk may be small, but it is definitely possible.) I use a lot of different passwords and keep the list in a Word document that is stored on a flash drive. I use a paper copy of the list for online activity and the flash drive is never plugged in when I am online.

I also worry about the possibility of keyloggers stealing individual passwords as they are entered, so all my password entries for anything critical, like banks/bills/merchant accounts, are not entered from the keyboard directly. Instead I use the free program Neo's Safekeys, which will pretty much foil any keylogger.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neo's Safekeys

I think lots of paranoia around that seems overly contagious about security.

Wonder what the odds are of some hack looking through all your hard drive word documnets for login/passwords then actually be new enough the virus programs don't know about them and the server it sends them to is still undiscovered and online.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.qfxsoftware.com/products.htm

I've been thinking about this a little after my original contribution. I still stand by the post.

If you are greatly concerned about password hijacking why not just handwrite the passwords and store them however you wish. There is no band of marauders going up and down the street breaking into homes stealing passwords.

The key would be to identify to what they belong to, but do not include any user names or account numbers with the passwords. Sites readily have the policy of sending your user name to your registered e-mail address if you forget. A forgotten password concern varies from site to site with different approaches.

I share with you now that I have all my passwords, two pages worth, in a binder here on my computer desk. The non-financial even include the user names. I haven't lost a night's sleep over it yet.

Mikie,

I agree whole heartedly with you. Security and the steps you take to protect yourself are important. However, I do get a little tired of the " big brother" and the "sky is falling" mentalities.

DA

mikie-
I agree with you about too much paranoia and should have acknowledged that I consider myself a little obsessive about security.

However, I have also had a credit card number stolen on the Internet and posted on a pirate site where it was used by a number of people before it got stopped. While I know this was not a result of someone hacking my computer, I've also had to deal with a number of nasty, clever nasty virus infections over the years, including a couple I caught in the act of trying to "dial out." Between the two, I've gotten pretty cautious.

I think the odds of someone actually hacking my computer and rummaging around, or having a keylogger infection is pretty small. However, I also don't think my house will burn down, but I still carry fire insurance. We all have to make up our own minds about this, once we're educated about the risks. But I appreciate your viewpoint.

DA I too have a spiral binder with mine in it in a secure location in my office, I figure if they manage to break into my house and can steal my computers and have the time to find my notebook among all my other crud in here they deserve to have it LOL
I do not save any of mine in any type of doc on the pc, I keep select ones of importance on a flash thumb drive that is in a different location, I do not store any of them online in any type of storage either.
I am careful and believe in good layered protection and using good safe hex, and use strong nonsense passwords, but I am not fanatic about it. The fact that I use linux the majority of the time is a plus in some cases. My biggest worry is that I forget where my dang notebook is LOL
this getting old ya know it has drawbacks.

Thanks y'all. I DO keep a little notebook with passwords but it's annoying because if I'm upstairs, it's downstairs or in another room or in the wrong drawer, etc.

Also, I wanted to alphabetize by website for convenience. I guesss I am a little paranoid but if hackers can get into just about any computer, I just wasn't sure since I read you don't have to be online - now, that is "above my paygrade" of understanding computereze. I do use mostly silly nonsense passwords with letters and numbers. Of course, that makes it impossible to remember any but a few offhand. Phooey.

P.S. I have a big brother and I think the sky IS falling.

The falling sky is rain or snow depending where you live. As far as big brother, he knows were the woodshed is so he can explain and handle that.

DA