Password managers have become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more people choosing to use them as a way of keeping their online accounts secure. But not all password managers are created equal, and it’s important to choose one that suits your needs and offers the right combination of features. In this article, we’ll take a look at why strong passwords matter, what to look for in a password manager, and why it’s important to combine your passwords with two-factor authentication.
Passwords have long been a popular way of securing online accounts, but they can also be a potential security risk. Passwords can be stolen from companies in large-scale data breaches, phished from individuals by scammers masquerading as social media companies, banks, and streaming providers, and guessed by automated “brute force” software. If hackers get hold of your credentials, they could access a trove of personal data and stored payment cards. That’s why it’s crucial to use unique, strong passwords across all your websites, apps, and online accounts.
Password managers are applications designed to store all of your passwords in a secure place. The software will only ask you for a single master password, which is all you need to remember. Everything else will be handled automatically by the app, including the generation and auto-filling of long unique passwords for every site. However, not all password managers are the same, and it’s important to choose one that offers the right features.
One key feature to look for in a password manager is strong encryption. Password vaults should be protected with strong encryption so that even if the password management provider is hacked, the threat actors will not be able to swipe any of its customers’ credentials. AES 256-bit encryption is the industry standard. Another important feature is a strong password generator that is designed to suggest long, complex, and random strings of numbers, letters, and symbols for each password. This means there’s virtually no chance a hacker could brute force your password.
Multi-platform and multi-browser support is also important, as password managers are only useful if they remember and recall your passwords across your favorite websites and apps. If they don’t support these sites, then you may be forced to use easy-to-remember credentials. Similarly, it will help usability a great deal if the password manager can import credentials from browsers and other password managers.
Autofill/auto-log-in is one of the most important features of a password manager. This feature allows the password manager to automatically fill in the strong, complex password assigned to each account, after you enter the master password. If it fails to provide this, the user experience will be greatly degraded. Remote logout also enhances security and privacy by enabling you to remotely log out of accounts, clear browsing history and cookies, and remotely close any open tabs.
Integration with two-factor authentication (2FA) is another important feature to look for. While password managers are important, the gold standard for identity and access management is 2FA, whereby a second “factor” is required in addition to a password, such as a facial scan or a one-time passcode. A password manager that integrates with popular third-party 2FA apps like Google Authenticator will help to streamline the experience. It’s also important to choose a password manager that has a reset feature for the master password in case you forget it.
When choosing a password manager, it’s essential to choose a trustworthy vendor. If the password management firm itself is breached, that could expose all of your passwords, so ensure it has a good track record on security. Another important consideration is whether to choose local or cloud storage. Local vault storage will often give you better control and security in many cases, but devices get stolen, lost or hacked, and hard drives fail. A centralized, cloud-based option may then be more convenient, but it has its own potential downsides, including that it requires you to trust your service provider. Ultimately, the safety of your passwords is conditional on strong encryption and cybersecurity posture.
It’s important to remember the limitations of password managers and passwords as such. A password represents a single line of defense and may not be enough to ward off criminals. As a result, it’s crucial to combine your passwords with 2FA so that you stand a much better chance of keeping the hackers at bay.
In conclusion, passwords are a potential security risk, but password managers offer a best practice way to overcome many of the inadequacies of passwords. When choosing a password manager, it’s important to look for features such as strong encryption, a strong password generator, multi-platform and multi-browser support, autofill/auto-log-in, remote logout, integration with 2FA, a reset feature for the master password, and a trustworthy vendor. By choosing the right password manager and combining your passwords with 2FA, you can keep your online accounts secure and protect your personal data from hackers.