Password Managers
A Different Password for EVERY Website!?
The most digitally secure person has a different password for every website they log in to, but how are they able to keep track of all those usernames and passwords? Many of them don't! Instead, many people use something called a Password Manager.
A Digital Notebook - kind of
It’s not uncommon to find someone who uses a large number of websites to have all of their usernames and passwords written down in a paper notebook next to their computer. Or, if they want to keep their lives simple, they only use one password for all of the websites they log into.
Keeping your passwords in a notebook might seem like a good idea, but then anyone who has access to your computer can log into your accounts and access your personal information. And keeping one strong password for all of your websites might seem safe, but if any one of those websites gets hacked, then the hacker might have access to any important websites, like a shopping website or a bank, and would be able to steal from you. A password manager bridges these issues into an easier solution.
You can think of a password manager like a digital notebook that keeps all of your usernames and passwords locked behind a single super-strong password and then you can access that information at any time!
And if a password manager is hacked, the hacker won’t have access to your other passwords because all of that data is encrypted, meaning it’s all scrambled and messed up, unless you have the super-strong master password that you set up.
Which Password Manager is Best?
There are several different password managers with different features.
Some, like Dashlane and 1Password, are very popular in the high-tech security industry, but also cost a monthly or annual subscription.
Other password managers are very popular for users who can’t afford another monthly subscription, or are just learning about password managers for the first time, but still want to take their internet safety very seriously. The most popular password managers with a free-tier are LastPass and BitWarden.
We’re not going to compare all of the pros and cons of each password manager, and instead we’ll just tell you about our favorite: Bitwarden.
Bitwarden has all of the essential features, like one-click login, the ability to use it on computers, Android devices, and Apple devices, and it is a free and open source software (FOSS). If you want to learn more about the benefits of open source software, feel free to check out our article on Free and Open Source Software!
So how do we use a password manager, like Bitwarden?