Password Managers: How to create and keep track of strong passwords for multiple accounts
by Dana Svitavsky
Passwords are an important part of internet life, and you can’t successfully use the internet without them. This means that it’s important to think about how your passwords are being kept safe. A study from the Pew Research Center in 2017 found out that “39% say that they use the same (or very similar) passwords for many of their online accounts” and that “25% admit that they often use passwords that are less secure than they’d like, because simpler passwords are easier to remember than more complex ones.” [1] The number of passwords we need to keep track of makes it tempting to prioritize convenience rather than safety. However, there are solutions that help you remember all of those passwords without compromising on security. Password managers are an excellent way to create complex passwords, easily change your passwords, and decrease the amount of memory space you need to remember passwords with.
I use the password manager provided by the browser Firefox. It features the option to create a randomly generated password for you. It will alert you if passwords have been stolen from a site you use, keeps track of when you created your password, and has you create a primary password that must be entered to gain access to all of your passwords. Firefox stores the primary key locally, so you need a primary key for each device you use. [2] Most browsers will have a password manager that you can use, and all browsers mentioned here use encryption to protect your data. The Google Chrome browser has a password manager that will save your passwords to your computer if you don’t sync devices, but if you do, your passwords will be saved to your Google account. [3] Microsoft Edge’s version will automatically save them into their cloud so that they are able to be synced. [4]
1Password encrypts your data and creates a standalone vault for your passwords that you can choose whether or not to sync between devices. They also give you updates on compromised websites. [5] Lastpass uses local encryption and makes it so your master password is never sent to their servers. [6] Nordpass was created by NordVPN and encrypts the data on your local computer before storing it in their cloud. [7] This makes it so only your local computer can decrypt your data. There’s also an option like KeePass that is open source and lets you look into the code yourself and make any modifications that you like. [8]
If you choose to use a password manager, make sure you remember your primary password to ensure that all of your other passwords are safe and accessible. There are many overlapping features between these managers and many other password managers that will also help you protect and manage your passwords. For now, you should have it in good confidence that your passwords will be safely encrypted by whatever password manager you use.
Do you already use a password manager? Or do you have another method to keep track of your passwords? How well do you think that your method protects your privacy? You can read more about how to create secure passwords at the UBC Information Security Office website.
References
[1] 1615 L. St NW, Suite 800Washington, and DC 20036USA202-419-4300 | Main202-857-8562 | Fax202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries, “Americans and Cybersecurity,” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech (blog), January 26, 2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/01/26/americans-and-cybersecurity/.
[2] “Use a Primary Password to protect stored logins and passwords,” Mozilla, accessed November 24, 2020, https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-primary-password-protect-stored-logins?redirectslug=use-master-password-protect-stored-logins&redirectlocale=en-US/.
[3] “Manage Passwords – Computer – Google Chrome Help,” accessed November 24, 2020, https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95606?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en.
[4] “How to Manage Saved Passwords in Microsoft Edge,” accessed November 24, 2020, https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftedge/forum/msedge_profile-msedge_win10/how-to-manage-saved-passwords-in-microsoft-edge/e80f5472-5e37-4053-a857-5ec1e5f4fa94.
[5] “About 1Password and Your Privacy,” 1Password, accessed November 24, 2020, https://support.1password.com/1password-privacy/.
[6] “Password Vault Software | LastPass Digital Vault,” accessed November 24, 2020, https://www.lastpass.com/password-vault.
[7] “Zero-Knowledge Encryption: Extra Password Safety,” accessed November 24, 2020, https://nordpass.com/features/zero-knowledge-architecture/.
[8] Dominik Reichl, “KeePass Password Safe,” Text, accessed November 10, 2020, https://keepass.info/.
Written by Dana Svitavsky
Edited by Rachael Bradshaw
Featured image Login Monitor, from geralt used under Pixaby License
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