2024 Why you really should be using a password manager
Passwords are annoying !
You need them for everything these days.
And, whilst we all know they need to be secure, it’s almost impossible for us to use different passwords for every online service we use AND for them to be secure AND for us to be able to remember them.
So, many simply use the same password (or a combination of 2 or 3) for all systems we access. This might have been sufficient back in the day, it really isn’t now. In fact it is dangerous.
Systems get hacked all the time ! Passwords are stolen ! Then your password and your email address are sold on the Dark Web …hackers then use your credentials to bombard other sites hoping your credentials will let them into – and almost inevitably they find sites that they can access.
There is a site you can use to see if your account details have been compromised for certain sites (Have I been Pwned) – if it has, you really need to change the passwords on the systems compromised – and check these sites don’t have your bank or card details.
So…. there’s the reasoning for not using the same password (or a small number for all sites) – and you really need to be using a different password for every service you use – and ideally use a really complicated password. But – how do you remember them all ?
You don’t need to – you simply need to use a password management application. These are really good – and most of them have a free version for you to use.
We are big fans of Lastpass (and use it ourselves) – but there are others (1Password, Dashlane and others). They work by firstly suggesting passwords for you (when you create accounts on sites – or when you are changing passwords) – then they remember them for you so the next time you log in to these sites, they will prompt you with the credentials).
Your account is managed by a single (very secure) password, and ideally with multi factor authentication. Another beauty of these applications is that they have apps for your phone so your passwords can be kept in sync, and you can access them from all your devices.
There is a slight learning curve with them, but it really is worth the shift. Passwords are not going away anytime soon, and the importance of keeping your accounts safe is more serious than ever.