People suck at coming up with secure passwords. But really, how are we supposed to remember all these different passwords if we use just one account for each one? We’d end up with passwords so secure that we can’t even reliably access them.
Enter the password manager—one of my favorite tools that I believe every online person should use.
So, uh, what’s a password manager?
A password manager is a digital vault that holds the keys to all your accounts and websites. Each key, or password, is uniquely generated and highly secure. They can be incredibly long and complex, which means they’re much harder for a hacker to crack and much, much harder for a person to guess.
Now, there’s no way you’d remember a password like @pbEsqKh4F7h6i7fgB. That’s an actual password I just randomly generated through Dashlane, and no, I’m not stupid enough to actually use it anywhere.
Rather than remembering such a long and complicated password, it’s saved in your password manager. Every different account on every website gets its own, unique password. None are reused, so a breach of one doesn’t put all your other website accounts in danger.
When you come to a page or entry form on a website that asks for your email or username, along with your password, you click in the open field, and your password manager will automatically enter the password for that website account.
No need to remember a complicated string of gobbledygook like @pbEsqKh4F7h6i7fgB.
You’re not locked into using your passwords on only one device. They’re stored in the services’ cloud and accessible on any device where you sign into your password manager account.
So you can cycle through the Windows PC you use for gaming, the MacBook you use for work, your iPad you use for doomscrolling before bed, and your Android or iPhone during the day, for example.
As long as you sign into your password manager via the app or browser extension on each device, they’re all right there, one click away.
Most of these password managers I’ve highlighted in this story have a free version or a free trial available. All are secure and trustworthy. Give one (or more) a test drive. The peace of mind is worth a few bucks per month. Easily.
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