Passwords have become a part of our daily lives. Most online applications require one when logging in or when creating a new account. With so many passwords to remember, keeping a note of them is a good idea.
However, since our personal data is so vulnerable to being hacked or stolen, it’s generally advised not to have them stored somewhere that’s easy to discover. This is where password managers are useful.
Think of a password manager tool as an impenetrable safe that stores all your passwords and login details in one place for easy yet secure access.
What is a password manager?
Password manager tools are a type of online software used to store, generate, and manage passwords. Password managers are encrypted databases that keep your passwords secure so that you don’t run the risk of having them stolen or compromised.
Your password manager account is locked by a master key that only you know. This will be a unique password that you use to log in. Once all your passwords are stored in your password manager, the only password you’ll ever need to remember is the master key.
Why do you need one?
By using a password manager, you can easily store and retrieve complex passwords that you can’t remember. Password managers protect your network and data not just by storing your login details in a secure account, but by also helping you to generate strong and unique passwords when you sign up for future websites and applications.
Often, password managers come with browser extensions and add-ons that will automatically fill in your password for you when visiting a site or app. And because they have encrypted syncing across all devices, you can easily access and retrieve passwords on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Using a password manager makes it easier for you to generate hard-to-crack passwords that are long, complex, and unique. If most of us are honest, the difficulty in remembering passwords and having to constantly reset them has us creating the same one for every account. While this makes life much easier, it also makes it much easier for hackers and cybercriminals to infiltrate your online accounts.
With a password manager, you are able to create a unique password for every account – and not have to worry about remembering them!
Choosing a password manager
There are a lot of password manager tools available – both free and paid. The majority of these tools are safe to use with a very low risk of being breached.
It pays to be mindful that like anything stored on the internet, there is always the potential for a data breach or cyber attack. However, thanks to encryption and swift incident responses, the fallout of a breach on a password manager system isn’t as great.
When you choose a password manager tool, the best thing to do is:
- Research your options
- Check the reviews
- Consider whether you want a locally-stored manager or a cloud-based one
A highly personal decision, selecting the best password manager is based upon your individual needs. Regardless of which one you choose, a password manager will be a crucial piece of security for your accounts and devices.
Final considerations
Passwords are at risk of being stolen all the time. As long as you use the internet, there will always be that chance of having your data stolen. This is why it’s critical you create passwords that are complex and unique.
With help of a password manager tool, you’ll be able to easily create a different password for every online account and be able to retrieve them if they are forgotten or lost. To further safeguard your passwords and password manager tool, always ensure that you have two-factor authentication on all your crucial accounts and that you keep your password manager extensions up-to-date. Using a password manager tool is far better for your online security than not having one. They make it much more difficult for hackers to access your personal information and ensures your data remains safe.
