We all have at least 15 different online accounts, including our social media handles and work, financial, and fitness-related platforms. This means you have 15 unique, repetitive, or complex passwords to keep track of and manage. Gone are the days when you scribbled them down in your notebook or posted it on sticky notes around your desk, so what will you do? Do you remember all 15 passwords by heart, or do you use the same password across different accounts? A password manager may be what you are looking for.
Creating and memorizing a complex and unique password for different accounts is nearly impossible without external help. A password manager is a program that can generate, encrypt, and save all your passwords, including other sensitive information, in one centralized place protected by a single master password. How do you find a good and reliable password manager? Look out for password managers that will store, create, and apply complex passwords across the account, securing your accounts. Also, avoid those that have previously or recently been hit by cyberattacks. Since your password manager contains the login credentials for all your accounts, you must protect it from potential threats. Any renowned password manager vendor will undoubtedly protect your data, but there are a few measures you can take on your own to protect your passwords.
Let us look at some measures to protect your password managers.
Devise a strong Master Password
When you first set up your preferred password manager, you’ll be asked to create a master password at some point. Remember to keep your master password complex and robust, as that is the critical shield between all your login credentials and cybercriminals. Provided that you will need to enter your master password repeatedly, so you will need to keep one that is easy to remember and not too difficult to type quickly.
An efficient passphrase should comprise words or phrases which hold meaning and are easy to recall.
Also Read: Apple Introduces a New Extreme Security Feature: Lockdown Mode
Enable Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)
No matter how much we emphasize multi-factor authentication, it will never be enough. In case of an attack, you want to be sure hackers cannot break into your password account manager. To ensure this, you can enable MFA, which most password managers should provide. Explore the settings of your password manager to see if there are options for multi-factor authentication, such as one-time passwords (OTP), SMS, email, or biometrics. If available, enable the option that best works for you.
Enable and Use Biometric Verification
Biometric verification is a great way to add an extra layer of security to your password manager. Instead of typing the master password each time you want to use the password manager, use a facial or fingerprint authentication to verify your identity. On an Apple device, that means Face ID or Touch ID. For a Windows PC, that means Windows Hello, whereas, on an Android device, it means facial or fingerprint recognition.
Check the security settings within the password manager and enable the option to switch to any biometric authentication available. You will be asked to enter your master password to confirm the switch, then you can log in to the password manager using your preferred verification form.
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