Here’s the reality: as our lives expand while we do more online, we’ve gone from having just a couple of passwords to today, where we might manage upwards of 100 or more.
And if you’re like most people (myself included!), you’re probably using the same password for most of your accounts — right? Right!
I mean, come on, how can my brain remember so many different passwords for so many different accounts right?
And yes, though it is much more convenient to do so, the bottom line is that using the same password for all your accounts is simply not safe!
Because if your one password gets stolen because of a breach, it can be used to gain access to all your accounts and your sensitive information.
Imagine that!
But no need to fret, password managers are easy to use and make a big difference.
Easily manage all your passwords
So here’s where password managers really shine!
Password managers are pieces of software that often take the form of apps, browser plugins or they might be included automatically in your browser or computer operating system. With a few clicks, you can generate new, secure passwords that long, unique and complex. These passwords manager automatically store your passwords and can autofill them when you arrive at the site.
Password managers literally take a few minutes to download and get started with.
You can fill in all your passwords at once, or just add a few passwords for your key accounts (email, banking and social media, for example) and add more over time. Many times, when you log into a site, your password manager will ask if you want to store the password – click yes, and, boom, another account is secured. And to keep your password manager extra safe, secure it with multi-factor authentication (MFA).
What are the advantages of a password manager?
Password managers not only let you manage hundreds of unique passwords for your online accounts, but some of the services also offer other advantages as well:
Saves time
Works across all your devices and operating systems
Protects your identity
Notify you of potential phishing websites
Alerts you when a password has potentially become compromised
Why a password manager is the best for keeping your passwords safe
But let me ask you this – do YOU trust password managers? Touch your heart and really think deep about this.
The fact of the matter is that, most people actually don’t trust password managers! And though there are many reasons, one of the common ones is that many are afraid that storing all their passwords in one place means they are at risk if a hacker breaches your vault.
But this is where you are wrong! Password managers today are safer than ever before, and they are much safer than using a physical notebook, storing passwords in a Notes app or reusing passwords that are easy to remember.
I mean, here is why a password manager is the best for keeping your passwords safe:
#1: Encryption:
Quality password managers encrypt all of the passwords stored on them, no matter whether the passwords are stored on your device or on the company’s servers. This means that your passwords would be basically impossible to decode if a hacker tried to breach your password manager. The only access to your passwords on a password manager is with a password only you know.
#2: Multi-Factor Authentication:
Because your password vault on a password manager is so valuable, the best password managers require multi-factor authentication for you to log in. This means that anyone trying to view your passwords from unfamiliar device will need to log in multiple ways. This can include a facial ID, fingerprint scan, inputting a code you get in an SMS text message or approving the log-in attempt on a separate app. This builds another wall around your passwords, so you know they are kept extra-secure.
#3: Zero Knowledge:
As the name suggests, zero knowledge means a password manager does not know what your password is – the company does not store the keys needed to decrypt the main password that unlocks your vault. This means that your main password is never kept on the system’s servers. You are the only one who knows it, so you should make it strong and protect it with MFA.