Not exactly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, passwords are a big pain, but it seems they\u2019re hanging around for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n Between the bank accounts and streaming services, web apps you\u2019re forced to use at work, emails, socials, and more\u2014coming up with an endless supply of unique, unhackable passwords is near impossible.<\/p>\n Our brain is fairly good at remembering passwords, but we suck at creating log-ins that properly protect our information.<\/p>\n As per Techopedia, a password manager<\/a> is a software application that stores and manages your passwords for all of your online accounts.<\/p>\n They automatically generate hard to guess passwords you\u2019d never remember on your own, and they\u2019re stored in an encrypted format, that you can access with one master password.<\/p>\n A password manager is an app designed to keep your identity safe and save you the time and headache associated with the countless accounts few all have now.<\/p>\n The reason is pretty straightforward. You need strong, unique, unguessable passwords\u2014with special characters, mixed case letters, and numbers.<\/p>\n Any password you can remember\u2014is likely easy to hack. Add in the fact that, handling passwords manually means–you\u2019re likely using the same password over and over or you\u2019re dealing with frequent resets.<\/p>\n One of the biggest reasons to get one of these apps\u2014many of which are free, BTW\u2014is something called credential stuffing.<\/p>\n What this means is, if a hacker gets ahold of your information during a data breach, they\u2019ll use that same password to log into multiple sites.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why beyond some demographic details or privacy concerns, data breaches in places like Target or Facebook can put your identity and credit at risk.<\/p>\n Or, there\u2019s the issue of phishing\u2014you click on some malicious link posing as your bank or something and inadvertently install malware on your computer that collects keystrokes.<\/p>\n And, finally, a password manager means you don\u2019t have to type in passwords. So, if you\u2019re working in a public space like a coffee shop, no one can see over your shoulders.<\/p>\n While you might think, “hey, I\u2019m pretty safe online, and I definitely know a phishing attack when I see one”\u2014don\u2019t be so sure. Better secure than sorry, right?<\/p>\n There are a lot of options out there these days. 1Password, Dashlane, and LastPass are the first ones that come to mind.<\/p>\n LastPass is free, so long as you don\u2019t want to shell out for the premium features (but, even so, we\u2019re talking $36 per year). The app has dealt with security issues in the past, but they have done a good job addressing vulnerabilities and keeping the cloud-based system updated.<\/p>\n LastPass and Dashlane both update passwords automatically, though some users have reported that the feature doesn\u2019t work as well as advertised.<\/p>\n Another option, KeePass doesn\u2019t use the cloud. Instead, the open source program can be downloaded to your computer\u2014 no need to worry about data breaches.<\/p>\n KeePass is OSI certified, and you can look at the source yourself to see whether the encryption algorithms are working correctly. As you can see, below, KeePass keeps things old school–no frills, just good old-fashioned protection.<\/p>\n Yes\u2014Dashlane, for example, is a cross-platform application\u2014so one account works across all of your devices. It also allows you to set up autofill\u2014so you can skip filling out online forms and check out fast. It also comes with a VPN, scans for dark web activity, and lets you securely store documents and notes containing sensitive information.<\/p>\nWhat does a password manager do?<\/h2>\n
Why you need to use one<\/h2>\n
Which password managers work best?<\/h2>\n
![\"KeePass](\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2021\/06\/Screen_Shot_2019-02-25_at_8.26.36_PM.jpg\" "\\"KeePass\\"")
<\/p>\nCan you use them on your phone, too?<\/h2>\n
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