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Password Managers

Since I started using a password manager, my e-life has changed. I feel much safer, and know that I'll never forget a password anymore. It also made me aware of how much is at stake. So, I thought I'd help you too!

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by anyone. I'm just a regular guy, trying to survive the craziness of the Internet. It's hard these days to find unbiased information on the Internet! So, consider this as a friendly tip! :)

So, what is a password manager?

Well, it's a little app that simply remembers your credentials for you (login/email and password), for the websites you visit, the apps you use, or any kind of information you want to store securely.

Password managers have state-of-the-art security: all the data you store inside is encrypted and cannot be read by anyone but you. To access the data stored in the password manager, you simply create a (very strong) master password the first time, and use it to unlock the vault when you need access a password.

What are the benefits of using a password manager?

  1. You can use a unique password for every website. If that website gets hacked and your password is compromised, the attacker won't be able to use the password anywhere else.
  2. The password manager can create a very complex random password for you. Like this one: uk8u$tknkH$x49@W^b
  3. This also means that you don't have to remember any password, except the master password to unlock your vault.
  4. Password managers can be installed everywhere: on your computer, tablet, smartphone, or even as a browser extension. Your passwords are synchronised and always within reach!
  5. On smartphones and tablets, you can even use your face or fingerprints to unlock the vault, and paste the password automatically when the website asks for it!
  6. Chances of being phished are drastically reduced. See, the password manager binds credentials to a specific address (e.g. www.gmail.com). If you clicked a phishing email and didn't notice the link is slightly different (e.g. www.gmmail.com), the password manager won't suggest any password, because it doesn't know this website... which should alert you!
  7. Some password managers can even tell you if one of your passwords has been exposed in a data breach. If that's the case, you should change it!

Bitwarden

Following the advice of a white-hat company, I started using a password manager called Bitwarden. I chose this specific password manager for several reasons:

  1. It is completely free to use
  2. The premium functions are extremely useful (2 factor authentification, encrypted document storage...), and only cost $10 per year!
  3. It is open source, which means all the code is publicly available and can be verified by anyone.
  4. The code is also regularly audited by IT security firms, to make sure everything is state-of-the-art.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Bitwarden for all these reasons! But also because it's very easy to use and setup. It really changed the way I use the Internet, and also made me aware of how important it is to take IT security seriously.

Alternatives

Of course, Bitwarden is not the only password manager out there! They all have their pros and cons, and ultimately it's your choice, but here is a list of some alternative apps to check out:

What about my browser?

This is what I used to use. Most browsers can remember your credentials, it's convenient and automatic. But, do you know what your browser does with your data? How secure is it? And what if your computer gets stolen or dies, do you lose everything?

Storing your password in your browser is better than nothing, sure. But it's really not the best practice. On the other hand, password managers don't have these problems: everything is stored securely in the cloud, and nobody but you can access your data. And they can prove it!

A word of caution

Although password managers are very secure, they also have one weakness: if you forget your master password, the one that unlocks everything, you lose everything. That's the price to pay for the maximum security: if your door has only 1 key, nobody else can open it... but you better not lose the key!

Luckily though, some password managers like Bitwarden have options to share the vault with someone, and have an emergency access configured.

I hope this will help you like it helped me!

One last thing...

I also discovered a very useful tool called Have I been pwned. This website lets you check if you e-mail address has ever compromised in a data breach, and the name of the website, the date and the kind of data that was stolen. You can even sign up for a notification, to be alerted if your email appears in a data breach in the future.

Still not convinced a password manager is useful? Just have a look at the list of known data breaches... That's why using a unique password is the best practice!