Password Managers

Password Managers – I have written before about the importance of having strong passwords and how to create them. (Woopi News June 2022).

So what is a password manager and what can they do to help you stay safe online?

A password manager is a program that allows you to generate and store all your passwords in a safe location. Most of them let you also keep credit card information as well as secure notes. For even more security and convenience password managers also support using biometric data (fingerprint or face) instead of your master password for even more security and convenience. You can also share selected information with your family and friends without copy-pasting it into an email or instant message.

So, instead of memorizing all the login information you use for each site, you only have to remember one master password when using a password manager. And thanks to the autosave and autofill features, you’ll be able to connect to all your accounts easily.

So why use a password manager?

Password generators. You don’t need to spend a lot of time to come up with a password. Most password managers will allow you to generate a safe passwords.

It makes the process easier. Password managers are not only one of the safest ways to store passwords. A good password manager tool will allow you to keep & modify all your logins from one application.

No more typing. Most password managers have a built-in feature that allows you to auto-fill passwords and other recurring information. It saves you the hassle of needing to remember every single one of your passwords.

Secure password sharing. Many people are sharing accounts with their friends and family. Netflix even allows different users that all log-in with the same password. However, the best way to share them isn’t to paste it into the chat. That’s the definition of asking for trouble. The password manager then allows users to securely share passwords with other users.

Cross-platform support. As applications, password managers are not at all complicated and do not require a lot of resources. It means that it’s much easier to develop them for a variety of platforms like web browsers or smartphone apps.

Multi-factor authentication. Even if a hacker would install a keylogger and get your master password, this wouldn’t mean the end of the world if you have two-factor authentication enabled. The password would be useless without it, so you would still be safe, and the vault would stay locked.

For more info on recommended password managers and how to set them up give me call or drop in at the office.

Next month in Woopi News I will write about how to setup a password manager and what ones I recommend using.

Wayne – Geek Monkey Computers Woolgoolga 0490 776 643