Password Managers, a Revolution in the World of Web Safety
As we all know, to create high security when using the internet, one should use strong, complex passwords with a variety of cases, symbols, letters and numbers in order to protect yourself from fraud and hacking.
However, having a different complex password for every site makes things a little more difficult as forgetting such passwords becomes extremely easy which means that there is an associated risk of losing access to particular sites. Research done by Microsoft has found that the average user has around 25 accounts with passwords which means that the risk of forgetting such passwords is even higher as the amount of information needed to be remembered is large.
However, the answer to this problem is to use a password manager. A password manager is a piece of software that helps you generate long, complex passwords which it then securely stored in an encrypted virtual container. This therefore means that an individual only needs to remember one master password which unlocks the password manager thus allowing access to the other passwords for other sites. The password manager can then type the password for you into online forums or websites and Hey Presto! You’re logged in.
Not only does a password manager eliminate the problem of having to remember multiple different passwords, it also adds variety to each of your passwords therefore making it harder for hackers to access all of your login details as they are all different.
The big question you will now be asking is ‘what is the best password manager then?’.
Unfortunately, there is no one perfect password manager, it depends on your personal requirements and threat model. When picking a password manager, you should therefore think about what factors are most important to you:
-Cost: Does the software require an ongoing usage fee?
-Compatibility: What operating systems does the software support?
-Usefulness: Can the manager sync your passwords across a range of devices by storing its database in the cloud?
-Complexity: How easy is the password manager to use?
Some examples of password managers are Keepass, Lastpass, Dashline and many more.
For any support on any topics discussed, please do not hesitate to contact us at Q2Q on 01524 581690
