So if you’re like me and have a ton of different passwords to manage but don’t know how to securely store them, here’s a neat trick: first off, don’t use password managers that store your data in proprietary formats; god forbid if you ever someday need to change platforms or store something more than just “passwords”. Use a simple plain text file and pick Markdown to organize data. Here’s how mine looks:

Now, use a little known facility in OSX to create encrypted disks. Type ⌘+space & open Disk Utility. Now, File > New > Blank Disk Image. Under Encryption, choose 256-bit (why not?) and for image format, choose sparse disk image. Choose a place to save and you’ve got your own secure storage.

Drag and drop your Credentials markdown file into your disk image and you’ve got your own secure password store. If you’ve got any backup tools like Time Machine or Backblaze installed, then it’ll pick up this file too so your passwords are backed up. Have fun!