What you need to know about Password Managers

With the fact that working remotely has become the order of the day; securing every online account with strong passwords is now more essential than ever. Having to memorize dozens of passwords can surely be quite challenging and using the same password on all your accounts is a no-no; very dangerous.

A password manager is more like an encrypted digital vault that stores and secures password log in information used to access apps and accounts on your mobile device, websites and other services.

A good password manager goes a step further to creates and generates strong and unique passwords in order to ensure that users do not use the same password across multiple platforms.

With password managers, one does not necessarily have to memorize credentials across all the online platforms as autofill provided by the password managers will take care of it.

One amazing thing about Password Manager is that although there are reasonable prices attached to you can actually get a free versions that would be properly optimized.

Here are a few Password Managers you might want to consider

1.  LastPass

This has a free version and basic version that costs $36 per year. It is quite compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad. It also has browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge and Opera. The free version of LastPass stands out as the best password manager in this category by giving you the ability to store passwords, user login info and credentials and sync all of it wherever you want across either your mobile devices or your browsers. While you can currently view and manage passwords across mobile and desktop devices; you'll have to choose to use the free version for either mobile or desktop. 

That means if you choose mobile, you'll be able to access your LastPass account across your phones, tablets or smartwatches, but not on your laptop -- unless you upgrade to Premium, for $36 a year, or Families, for $48 a year. 


2. 1Password

This offers a trial version and offers a basic price of $35.88 per year. It is also compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad. It also has browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge and Opera.

1Password is more like the best password manager available and it’s available for major device platforms. It has provision for individual subscription which runs $36 a year and comes with 1GB of document storage and optional two-factor authentication through Yubikey for additional security. A travel mode lets you remove your 1Password sensitive data from your device when you travel and then restore it with one easy click when you return, so that it's not vulnerable to border checks. 

One beautiful thing about it is that you can also create separate guest accounts for password sharing to share Wi-Fi connection passwords, for example, or home alarm codes with guests.


3. Bitwarden

This offers free version and has a basic price of $10/year beyond the free package. It works with Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad. Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, Brave and Tor. 

Bitwarden is a lean, open-source encryption software password manager that can generate, store and automatically fill your passwords across your devices and popular browsers -- including Brave and Tor -- for free. If all you're looking for is a service to manage your login information, then Bitwarden is the way to go. It has a password sharing feature so you can share all your login info with another person. It allows users to add 1GB of encrypted file storage for $10 a year and five family members or friends can share login information for $12 a year.

4. Keeper

This Offers limited free version (unlimited passwords on one device) with a basic price of $ 34.55. It works well with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad. It also has browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge and Opera.

Keeper is another secure password manager that helps you manage login info on Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS devices. A free version gives you unlimited passwords on one device. The step-up version costs $35 a year and lets you sync passwords across multiple devices. For around $45 a year, you can get 10GB of secure file storage.

Other Password Managers include Norton Password, KeePassXc and NordPass

How does a password manager work? 

To get started, a password manager will record the username and password you use when you first sign in to a website or service. Then the next time you visit the website, it will autofill forms with your stored user login information. For those websites and services that don't allow automatic filling, a password manager lets you copy the password to paste into the password field.

If you're stuck picking a good password, a manager can generate a strong password for you and watch that you aren't reusing it across services. And if you use more than one device, you want a manager that is available across all your devices and browsers, so you can access your passwords and login information -- including credit-card and shipping information -- from anywhere through the manager app or its browser extension. Some provide secure storage so you can store other items too, such as documents or an electronic copy of your passport or will.

Take note: Many password managers keep the master password you use to unlock the manager locally and not on a remote server. Or if it's on a server, it's encrypted and not readable by the company.

This ensures your account stays secure in case of a data breach. It also means that if you forget your master password, there may not be a way to recover your account through the company. Because of that, a few password managers offer DIY kits to help you recover your account on your own. Worst-case scenario, you start over with a new password manager account and then reset and save passwords for all your accounts and apps.

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Alabi Olusayo



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