It seems just about every site these days requires you to set up an account, and every account requires a password. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have dozens of active online accounts with, hopefully, a different password for each account.
The problem is, of course, how does one remember all those passwords? The good news is, you don’t have to; a password manager will do that job for you, and very nicely. However, many users have concerns about saving their passwords in a password manager, mainly from a security point of view.
So, here are some key points regarding password managers and security that I hope will help ease those concerns:
Password Managers & Data Breaches
Most password managers utilize the “cloud” to synchronize your passwords across devices, and when you set up a password manager, you are prompted to create a master password, which protects your vault (passwords) from unauthorized access.
One of the concerns most often expressed by users is: what if the password manager gets hacked? Honestly, your passwords are perfectly safe, and here’s why:
- Without the master password, nobody, not even the password manager, can access your passwords
- Nobody knows the master password but you, not the password manager or anybody else
- Your passwords never leave the device. Data is encrypted locally on your device, and only you hold the encryption keys to decrypt it
Of course, you need to set up a strong master password to protect your vault. There are many ways to create a strong password, including a passphrase consisting of a string of words that have meaning only to you.
Here are some other excellent ideas:
What If You Get A New PC?
Some users are concerned that when/if they acquire a new PC, all their passwords will be lost and they’ll need to start all over again. That is definitely not the case.
All you need to do is install the same password manager you have been using on the old PC, input your master password, and you’ll have instant access to all your passwords again. Simple!
What If You Forget The Master Password?
No doubt the master password is extremely important and, while forgetting it would definitely create a problem, you can take precautions to overcome that eventuality:
- Write the master password down and store it securely, within a safe or in any safe place
- Back up your passwords (vault) occasionally. Most password managers provide a method to export (save) the vault, often in CSV format. Store the backup(s) on a USB drive and keep that drive securely stashed away in a safe place
- In the end, having to remember just one password is far more preferable than having to remember dozens of passwords
BOTTOM LINE:
We’ve only touched on the security implications here, but password managers also include several excellent/useful features, including creating and remembering strong passwords for you.
Password Manager Recommendations:
- Bitwarden – free for personal use, Premium edition currently at $20.00 US per year
- Proton Pass – full-featured free version available. Proton Pass Plus with additional features currently $36.00 US per year
- 1Password – currently at $38.00 US per year for a single user, and $59.00 US per year for up to 5 users
- LastPass – currently at $36.00 US per year for a single user, and $48.00 US per year for up to 6 users
- NOTE: LastPass Free version now only supports one device and no cross-device support
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