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Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
kevs #46236 09/08/17 01:08 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
What is file vault doing for you in a sentence or two? (as I know you went years without it). What is the main upside? Any annoying downsides?

For years I did not have a laptop and now I do. Even though I have not had a laptop before I know that for many reasons including the fact they go out into the world, laptops grow legs and walk off with someone else far more often than desktop computers. Filevault protects the information on my laptop should it "grow legs". The only annoyance is having to enter the password more often — but in High Sierra my Apple Watch will open the computer if the watch is connected to my iPhone and no password is needed except when booting up.

Originally Posted By: kevs
But I have the note app on the laptop, and if the laptop gets lost, icloud.com, it's right there. Just test, and it unlocked fin
e on icloud.com

What app on a Windows computer did you use to open the encrypted Note from iCloud?

Originally Posted By: kevs
I don't know why, but any minor thing and boom: Apple makes me change my password. (every year on average) I just add a new letter before the long pass each time- so I'm on c... password. Like you I'm forced to changed credit card numbers every year or two.

Maybe you aren't holding your mouth right laugh There have been times my password has not been recognized, but so far just waiting a few minutes or sometimes hours and it has started to work again. The result, I suspect, of a temporary glitch on Apple's password servers.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
joemikeb #46241 09/08/17 05:19 PM
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Thanks Joe:

But with laptop: I use it as a 2nd workstation at home: so it would be unbearable to have to do the long password at home 2-3 times a day. So what I do is just set privacy manually for the long password right before I take it away to a local US cafe or something. Your opinion on that strategy for the laptop -- which I use as a portable computer but also a home desktop.... (I'm assuming using it at home as a desktop with Filevault I'd have to constantly be entering a long password)

"What app on a Windows computer did you use to open the encrypted Note from iCloud?"

Did I say I'm on a Windows computer? Ok, so yeah, I did not use a Windows computer, to test, your implying when I'm abroad I'll be on a hotel or public windows computer. ok, True.. but even on a windows computer you go to Chrome and click icloud.com and enter user/ pass and then once your on icloud.com, it's the same as being on icloud.com in my living room in the US no?

True, Apple glitches with password system, which forces a new icloud password every 6 -12 months.

Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
kevs #46242 09/08/17 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
..but even on a windows computer you go to Chrome and click icloud.com and enter user/ pass and then once your on icloud.com, it's the same as being on icloud.com in my living room in the US no?

No, because you'll be on a PC, NOT a Mac, and you wont have access to the same apps.

Hmmm... An encrypted password-protected PDF may be your answer.

Last edited by artie505; 09/09/17 12:16 AM. Reason: Correction

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
artie505 #46243 09/08/17 11:14 PM
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Joe, Artie is interjecting. so pick it up if you want.

I'm on icloud.com. What do apps have anything to do with anything?

When you are on icloud.com is all the same.

Am I missing something.

?

Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
kevs #46244 09/08/17 11:32 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
Joe, Artie is interjecting. so pick it up if you want.

I'm on icloud.com. What do apps have anything to do with anything?

When you are on icloud.com is all the same.

Am I missing something.

?

Yep!

Oops! Sorry... Just noticed the "Private Thread" icon. blush frown tongue crazy


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
kevs #46246 09/09/17 02:30 AM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
I'm on icloud.com. What do apps have anything to do with anything?

When you are on icloud.com is all the same.

Am I missing something.?

:dope slap:

Keys, you are not the one that is missing something. Artie and I were both missing the fact that Notes is one of the apps available on iCloud.com along with Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Reminders, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. blush

So you are not missing anything and YES you could access iCloud.com on virtually any computer with any browser, open the iCloud Notes app and open the locked Notes file. My apologies for missing the obvious. crazy


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
joemikeb #46247 09/09/17 03:11 AM
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kevs Offline OP
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No problem, Joe, thanks for great info as always...

Final quesiton (got lost), on laptop & Filevault:

With laptop: I use it as a 2nd workstation at home: so it would be unbearable to have to do the long password at home 2-3 times a day. So what I do is just set privacy manually for the long password right before I take it away to a local US cafe or something. Your opinion on that strategy for the laptop -- which I use as a portable computer but also a home desktop.... (I'm assuming using it at home as a desktop with Filevault I'd have to constantly be entering a long password)

Last edited by kevs; 09/09/17 03:13 AM.
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
joemikeb #46248 09/09/17 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: kevs
Am I missing something.?

Keys, you are not the one that is missing something. Artie and I were both missing the fact that Notes is one of the apps available on iCloud.com along with Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Reminders, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. blush

Oops! blush


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
kevs #46253 09/09/17 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
With laptop: I use it as a 2nd workstation at home: so it would be unbearable to have to do the long password at home 2-3 times a day. So what I do is just set privacy manually for the long password right before I take it away to a local US cafe or something. Your opinion on that strategy for the laptop -- which I use as a portable computer but also a home desktop.... (I'm assuming using it at home as a desktop with Filevault I'd have to constantly be entering a long password)
The simple answer is you do not have to enter the FileVault password at all if it is stored in your Keychain it is entered automatically when you logon to or unlock your account. The detailed answer to has several parts.
  1. At home I use my laptop closed lid and attached to a 27" monitor, a variety of drives, scanners and other paraphernalia through an OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock (which also charges the MBP) and I set the following System Preferences:
    1. Security & Privacy > General: Require password 1 hour after sleep or screensaver begins
    2. Security & Privacy > General: Allow your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac
    3. Desktop & Screensaver > Screensaver: Start after 20 minutes
    4. Energy Saver > Power Adaptor: Turn Display off after 30 minutes.
  2. When I take it on the Road I use the settings I previously recommended to minimize the window of opportunity for someone getting it while it is open.
  3. You mention a "long password" my passwords are STRONG, but that does not necessarily mean LONG. My rule of thumb for passwords is:
    1. twelve characters or more
    2. at least one numeral
    3. at least one upper case character
    4. at least one lower case character
    5. at least one special character !@#$%^&&*()_+?/
    6. I haven't used it before
    7. is memorable
    8. Both 1Password and Keychain Access agree that it is STRONG.
    9. Nice to have: the character are distributed on the keyboard so that the word (or phrase) is easy to type.
  4. Coming up with a STRONG SHORT keyword or phrase can take some time. I often have 1Password make suggestions until I find one I like or can adapt. 1Password has a lot more options for password suggestions than Keychain Access
Given a reasonable password length and a decent interval before it kicks in and my Apple Watch unlocking the MBP (NOTE: the Apple Watch has to be unlocked before it can unlock the MBP and has its own passcode) it is not annoying at all. I don't even have to enter the password all that often.

💡‼️

Responding to your question made me think I need to look into creating an Automator Script or Apple Script to automate switching those settings back and forth. I will have to explore that possibility.

Last edited by joemikeb; 09/09/17 03:32 PM. Reason: add simple answer

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
joemikeb #46258 09/09/17 09:52 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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Joe, so at home:

1) You are doing a password to get into your computer? I don't do that, but I guess if you get burlarized then it's the ultimate insurance.

2) You do a Security and Privacy password (which I do when I take my laptop away), but you are also doing Filevault, which requires a 2nd round no?

Sorry now I re-read this from you, "The simple answer is you do not have to enter the FileVault password at all if it is stored in your Keychain it is entered automatically when you logon to or unlock your account"

But if you get auto logged in what the protection from File Vault?

Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
kevs #46262 09/10/17 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted By: kevs
Sorry now I re-read this from you, "The simple answer is you do not have to enter the FileVault password at all if it is stored in your Keychain it is entered automatically when you logon to or unlock your account"

But if you get auto logged in what the protection from File Vault?

The first thing Filevault does is deactivate auto logon, so I do have to enter my account password...
  • every time I boot my MBP
  • when I wake it up after it has been inactive for a set period of time* — My Apple Watch will serve as the password if the watch has been activated by entering its pass code and I do it there because I have Apple Pay on the watch.
  • every time an administrative password is required with or without Filevault encryption.
  • all in all 1 to maybe 3 times a day.
*The time period at home is 1 hour after sleep or screensaver, on the road it is 5 minutes (or less) depending on where I am.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Storing imporant credit card into while traveling.
joemikeb #46263 09/10/17 08:31 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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Ok Joe, I don't bother with that at home... this is for the burglar? Between my desktop and laptop, I would have to enter a password a dozen times a day, too cumbersome.

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