A password manager, why it is worth it and how to start
How many passwords do you have? For the site, hosting, domain, email, bank, social media. Nobody will remember dozens of strong, different passwords, so most people use one or two over and over. That is the weakest point of security: when one leaks, an attacker tries it everywhere.
How a password manager works
A password manager is an encrypted vault for all your passwords. You remember one master password, and the program:
- generates long, random, unique passwords for every account,
- fills them in automatically at login,
- warns you when a password has leaked or is repeated in several places.
You no longer have to invent or remember passwords, it invents and remembers them for you.
"But what if someone breaks into the manager?"
That is a natural worry. The vault is encrypted so that without the master password it is useless, even the manager's provider cannot see your passwords. So the only thing you need to take care of is a strong master password and two-factor login to the manager itself. That is far safer than a note under the keyboard or the same password everywhere.
The biggest gain is immediate: even if one service you use gets hacked, your other accounts are safe, because each has a different password.
How to start without being overwhelmed
You do not have to move everything at once. Start with the most important accounts, email, hosting, domain, bank, and change their passwords to strong ones generated by the manager. Add the rest over time, as you log in.
We will help tidy up access
As part of our care service we keep clients' credentials in an encrypted vault and advise how to manage passwords for the site, hosting and domain safely.
Want to stop worrying about passwords for your site? Get in touch.