Passwords are important when it comes to privacy, online security, and protecting your data. This World Password Day Experts at Norton tell us about the importance of Password Mangers and what makes them a crucial tool for your digital security.
Everyday tasks like checking email, posting on social media, purchasing movie tickets, ordering groceries online require remembering and entering a password. In fact, one study found the average person now has about 100 passwords.
It is a bad idea to reuse passwords or to use weak passwords like the dog’s name, birthday, or that infamous unsecure password: 12345. On the other hand, it’s impossible to remember dozens of strong passwords.
Your email, bank, online shopping, healthcare, social media and work accounts—do you use the same password for all of them? The risk is obvious. If a cybercriminal gets one password, they could get into all your accounts. A cybercriminal who gets into your email can quickly reset passwords to the accounts you have tied to it, like the accounts you use to manage your finances. Remembering many passwords is difficult, but not as difficult as cleaning up the mess of a cybercriminal who gains access to online accounts you want to keep secure.
To answer all queries on passwords, here comes the Password Manager: a tool which will generate and store complex passwords, unique to each of your online accounts.
A password manager, also called a password vault, is a software application to store and organize your usernames and passwords. When selecting the best password manager for your needs, you want to find a quality, encrypted solution from a trusted provider that enables you to sync passwords across your computer and mobile devices. All you need to do is remember one master password to unlock them all.
Password Managers vary and may offer some of the following services:
⦁ Syncing across multiple devices
⦁ Family-sharing
⦁ Auto-filled information on forms
⦁ Encrypted file storage vaults for your financial and other sensitive data
⦁ Industry-standard encryption
⦁ Security questions and answers
⦁ Two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication
⦁ 24/7 customer service
To create complex and strong passwords, your Password Manager uses encryption algorithms which can be difficult to understand. What’s most important, is that you should use a different generated password for each login to keep your information out of the hands of hackers. Every algorithm-generated password includes a combination of upper and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers, which are unpredictable.
Not only will a Password Manager provide a strong password, but it can also simplify your life by making account access easier for you and more difficult for hackers. While a password manager can require a bit of a learning curve, it’s much better than having your accounts hijacked because you stored your passwords the wrong way.
Rules for good password management
Follow these dos and don’ts rules for good password management to help keep your passwords secure:
To-Dos
⦁ Use complex passwords
⦁ Use unique passwords for each account
⦁ Use combinations of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols, not dictionary words
⦁ Keep your passwords private
⦁ Use a password manager to store your passwords more securely
No-to dos
⦁ Use easy-to-guess passwords
⦁ Use the same password for multiple accounts
⦁ Use child or pet names, or words that can be found in the dictionary
⦁ Share your passwords with others
⦁ Keep passwords in a plain text file on your computer or written down on a sticky note