People and passwords. Our love-hate relationship is not that strange, since – in our busy lives – it’s something else to remember and something else to forget. Therefore, at the convenience end of the scale, you can use the same password for everything; from your bank account to a cooking forum. At the other end – the maximum security side – you protect each account by a unique, complex password. But then again – in our busy lives – who can remember hundreds or even dozens of strong passwords? Let us provide the simple answer to this pickle: password managers.
Web browsers have been able to remember your passwords for many years and their password managers are gradually getting better. Still, we recommend skipping the password manager built into your browser – whether it’s Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or something else – and using a dedicated, reliable and stand-alone password manager like LastPass, 1Password and Bitwarden. Why? Hear us out.
100 and counting. Should you keep passing passwords?
The main problem that password managers solve is one of volume. Websites, work accounts, devices, iPhone or Android apps and even credit cards all require passwords or pins. The biggest risk to your accounts online is reusing a password. If you use the same passwords over and over again, a breach at one website immediately means that your email and password is out there for attackers to use everywhere.
A password manager remembers an infinite amount of passwords for you. You just have to remember one master password, to log into the password manager. It can also randomly generate strong passwords and log you into websites.
Cross-platform
Third-party password managers are cross-platform and cross-browser, which means that you can mix and match all kinds of browsers and platforms. You can’t say the same for browser password managers, since they are limited to that specific browser. Makes sense, right? Beyond that, password managers offer good desktop- as well as mobile applications.
Caution, please.
Password managers have built-in warnings, like LastPass’s Security Challenge and 1Password’s WatchTower. They’ll point out weak and reused passwords to you and even tell you when a password you use has appeared in a leaked password database. This let’s you stay up-to-date on protecting your digital accounts. Check!
All-in-storage. Should you keep passing passwords?
Password managers let you store more than just passwords. For example, you can also store tax documents, license keys, Wi-Fi codes, scanned copies of passports, other sensitive information and anything else you want to keep safe and sound.
Sharing is caring
You can store all sorts of sensitive information and documents and share them with anyone else who needs access. Password managers have easy password-sharing features, which is a great way to share household accounts like Netflix and Spotify. You will all get access to the same password entry and if you update the password, it will change for everyone else.
If this article has convinced you – good on you – and you’re currently using your web browser’s password manager, there’s no need to worry. You can switch to a password manager and import all of your usernames and passwords from your web browser’s built-in password manager. The password manager you choose will walk you through the import process.
Storing all your passwords in a single program may seem a little odd, but it is unquestionably the safest alternative. Pass(word) it on!
