Password Managers - What is it and why you need it
The tool you need to keep your online accounts secure
Password Managers are an important tool in the digital age and is vital in securing your accounts. Password Managers have been around for many years, but they are still underutilized by a vast majority of the population. So what is it? Simply put, it is a place to write down all your usernames, passwords and other necessary information for each of your online accounts. Your information is then locked away and encrypted with the use of one master password.
Why do we need Password Managers? Can’t we just share the same password for every service? Or write it down on a sticky note or even on the computer? No, these are all bad ideas that lead to compromised accounts. But why is it bad? To understand that we must consider what makes a good password and how passwords must be used.
A good password is ideally a long string of characters that isn’t easily guessed. Common words are easily guessed, and in fact there are many, many lists on the internet of common passwords. A good password is also limited to one account so that if one of your accounts is hacked, the perpetrator cannot then use your password to unlock other accounts. Good passwords usually need to be a minimum of 6 to 8 characters and are a mixture of numbers, lowercase and uppercase letters and symbols.
When you need a good password for the many accounts you have online (and these days everyone has multiple accounts for everything from their bank to their preferred social media platform), it becomes a hard problem. Unless you are someone with a photographic memory, you absolutely need to use a tool such as a Password Manager to store all your passwords. Password Managers make it easy because when you use one, you simply need to remember one master password which can then unlock all of the usernames, passwords, and other information that is hidden inside. Password Managers encrypt the data inside so no one without your master password can gain access to your passwords.
Password Managers make life easier in many ways. Password Managers will let you enter the name of the service, your account information, password and any notes you may have. Many of them have functionality built in to generate long and secure passwords for you so you don’t have to try to think of one yourself. Password Managers can be used completely offline on your personal computer and or as an online application on the web and your phone so that you can access all your passwords anywhere and anytime. Online Password Managers can have functionality built in to use your fingerprint to unlock on mobile devices and even ways to share passwords with your family, business team or others if you want to.
There are many Password Managers out there today, but it is important to use reputable, secure software as this is something that will hold the keys to your digital life. For online Password Managers, Bitwarden and 1Password are some of the best. For offline Password Managers, KeePassXC is a top choice.
Password Managers are a tool that everyone using the internet needs. Long, strong passwords are a necessity for your accounts and it is impossible to remember them all. Password Managers are convenient, immensely useful and absolutely necessary in the digital age.