There is nothing better than having a good password manager if you want to keep your passwords secure. Although there are many things to consider when making and using passwords, a password manager will aid you in taking care of the most important or crucial ones.
It’ll ensure that all your passwords are strong and long, and make sure each one of them is used for only one account. Keep in mind that an eight-character password these days just won’t do. It is much safer to have at least a fifteen-character password that includes punctuation marks, numerals, uppercase, and lowercase letters.
And you can generate such passwords with the help of a password manager. For a little help, here are some reasons why you need a good password manager.
What They Do
Password managers remember your passwords for you. Because of this, all you have to recall is the master password that opens the password manager. Keep in mind that the master password must be a difficult-to-decipher, long jumble of characters.
It won’t be hard to forget this one since it’s the only password you will need to know. Also, most password managers like Lastpass now offer two-factor authentication to aid in securing your accounts with them.
The majority of stand-alone password managers will create passwords based on random letters and numbers. Take note that a long password of random letters and numbers is almost impossible to decipher.
It’s much better than the “remember my password” options in browsers, which keeps the passwords you have and often don’t save them securely. Moreover, a lot of password managers can aid you in changing passwords regularly. However, security experts do not emphasize that option nowadays.
Actually, it is okay to keep a strong, unique password until there is a reason to change the password. Most password managers work on Chrome OS, Linux, iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. Each has a paid and free version. However, free versions restrict your account to only one device.
The Best Password Managers
Since there are many password managers available today, it can be confusing and overwhelming to choose. Don’t worry! We recommend 1Password, LastPass, Keeper, Dashlane, and KeePass.
1Password is best for iOS and macOS users. Also, it has a travel mode that will delete your passwords when you navigate international borders. On the other hand, LastPass has the best free version of any password manager and is very flexible.
Keeper password manager may not be as fancy as the rest, yet it has the most affordable and inexpensive paid version and works well. Dashlane may have expensive paid plans, but it can bulk-change your passwords.
Lastly, there is KeePass. It’s an open-source and completely free password manager that requires more work on your part. Not like the other password managers, KeePass does not sync or link your passwords across your different devices or gadgets over the internet.
Instead, you need to do it yourself through your local home network. Local password syncing might be troublesome, yet it offers you more control about where your passwords are saved because you do not have to worry about the online database of your password manager being breached.
The Main Disadvantage Of Password Managers
The problem of cloud syncing makes you think twice about putting or storing all your passwords in one place. Keep in mind that using a password manager makes one point of failure. If it’s compromised or hacked, then all your passwords for all your accounts are compromised, as well.
Luckily, there’s a solution to this, using at least one password manager. It would not have to be expensive. LastPass’s free version does almost everything the paid plan does. Also, Zoho Vault’s free plan does nearly everything too.
Perhaps you could put the least important ones on the free version and the crucial passwords on the paid versions. Your most sensitive accounts, like banks and social media, go to the paid password manager, and everything else goes to the free version.
Whatever password manager configuration (free or paid) you use, all of them will lead to the same result. You can relax and be at ease, knowing that your passwords are safe when there is a massive data breach.
Takeaway
Keeping your passwords safe and protected from hackers has long been a chief priority for anyone using the internet. Thus, individuals must keep their sensitive information safe and secure. The good news is that there is a lot of information out there for securing passwords.
However, since there is so much info, it can get easy to get befuddled and disoriented, especially if you are not tech-savvy. But there’s the one password tip everyone must know, and it might be the essential thing you can do to secure your passwords. It’s to use a good password manager!
About Nick
Nick is a Software Engineer. He has interest in gadgets and technical stuffs. If you are facing any problem with your Windows, feel free to ask him.