As passwords become more complex, the methods for breaching them also improve. As cybercrime increases, better security becomes more important than ever. People and businesses often forget that the first line of defense against cybercrimes is their users.
The BBB recommends changing your password at least a few times per year, but this is outdated information.
Most tech professionals recommend your password changes every thirty, sixty, or ninety days; depending on what the password is used for, how often the account is accessed, and how strong the password is to begin with.
A password manager like Keeper stores all of your passwords in a secure location and helps scan the dark web for potential threats. In fact, the less you log in to a website, the more vulnerable you are to an attack by cyber criminals.
A password manager is the protection you need to keep private information safe from cybercriminals. So, when should you change your password? What events or red flags should you watch for? After A Security Breach : With massive breaches like the Capital One and Target breaches in recent years, consumers have been put at risk from hackers halfway across the globe and on domestic soil.
If you suspect someone is attempting or has attempted to access one or more of your accounts, change your passwords ASAP. If You Discover Malware or Other Phishing Software : A virus can put your computer at risk and leave your personal information exposed. Buy Now. Shared Access : Lots of people share access to accounts like Netflix and other media services. Some even share access to a joint bank account and access the info via web or mobile app. Logging In At Public Places : Using an unsecured network to log in to your accounts is a good way to have your password stolen.
If you visit the library or use a public network, change your password afterward. Why do it yourself?
In a word: Transparency. Like Bitwarden, KeepassXC is open source, which means its code can be and has been inspected for critical flaws. KeePassXC is free to use. Download the desktop app for Windows, macOS, or Linux and create your vault. There are also extensions for Firefox , Edge , and Chrome.
It does not have official apps for your phone. NordPass is a relatively new kid on the password manager block, but it comes from a company with significant pedigree. The installation and setup process is a breeze. There are apps for every major platform including Linux , browser, and device. The free version of NordPass is limited to one device; there's no syncing available. There is a seven-day free trial of the premium version, which lets you test device syncing. Like our other favorites, NordPass uses a zero-knowledge setup in which all data is encrypted on your device before it's uploaded to the company's servers.
Other nice features include support for two-factor authentication to sign in to your account and a built-in password generator which has plenty of options to handle those poorly designed sites that put weird requirements on your password.
The company also recently introduced a personal information storage feature to keep your address, phone number, and other personal data safe and secure, but easy to access as well. Password managers are not a one-size-fits-all solution. While we think our top picks cover most use cases and are the best choices for most people, your needs may be different. Fortunately, there are plenty of very good password managers.
Here are some more we've tested and liked. A good password manager stores, generates, and updates passwords for you with the press of a button. If you're willing to spend a few dollars a month, a password manager can sync your passwords across all your devices. Here's how they work. Only one password to remember: To access all your passwords, you only have to remember one password.
When you type that into the password manager, it unlocks the vault containing all of your actual passwords. Only needing to remember one password is great, but it means there's a lot riding on that one password. Make sure it's a good one. If you're having trouble coming up with that one password to rule them all, check out our guide to better password security.
You might also consider using the Diceware method for generating a strong master password. Apps and extensions: Most password managers are full systems rather than a single piece of software. They consist of apps or browser extensions for each of your devices Windows, Mac, Android phones, iPhone, and tablets , which have tools to help you create secure passwords, safely store them, and evaluate the security of your existing passwords.
All that information is then sent to a central server where your passwords are encrypted, stored, and shared between devices. Fixing compromised passwords: While password managers can help you create more secure passwords and keep them safe from prying eyes, they can't protect your password if the website itself is breached. That doesn't mean they don't help in this scenario though. All the cloud-based password managers we discuss offer tools to alert you to potentially compromised passwords.
Password managers also make it easier to quickly change a compromised password and search through your passwords to ensure you didn't reuse any compromised codes. You should disable auto form-filling: Some password managers will automatically fill in and even submit web forms for you. This is super convenient, but for additional security, we suggest you disable this feature. Automatically filling forms in the browser has made password managers vulnerable to attacks in the past.
For this reason, our favorite password manager, 1Password , requires you to opt in to this feature. We suggest you do not. Don't panic about hacks: Software has bugs, even your password manager. The question is not what do you do if it becomes known that your password manager has a flaw, but what do you do when it becomes known that your password manager has a flaw.
The answer is, first, don't panic. Sarah Brown, What if 1Password gets hacked? Andrew Cunningham is a senior staff writer on Wirecutter's tech team. He has been writing about laptops, phones, routers, and other tech since Before that he spent five years in IT fixing computers and helping people buy the best tech for their needs.
Thorin Klosowski is the editor of privacy and security topics at Wirecutter. He has been writing about technology for over a decade, with an emphasis on learning by doing—which is to say, breaking things as often as possible to see how they work.
For better or worse, he applies that same DIY approach to his reporting. Our pick. Budget pick. Buying Options Buy from Bitwarden. Everything we recommend. Is it safe to trust a password manager with all your passwords? Other notable password managers The competition Footnotes Frequently asked questions Sources. Why you should trust us. Wirecutter has been testing and recommending password managers since Why you need a password manager.
How we picked. We also checked to see whether each of the password managers we tested had been subjected to a third-party security audit. Sync between devices and no limits on the number of devices you can use : You probably have more than one device that you use every day, between your home computer, your work computer, your phone, and your laptop; a good password manager should offer cloud syncing so that your passwords are accessible anywhere on an unlimited number of devices.
Compatibility: A great password manager runs on just about anything, regardless of what hardware and software you and your family use. We looked at three different kinds of compatibility. Desktop and laptop compatibility: A password manager should have a Windows and macOS app you can use to browse, add, and edit your information.
Support for ChromeOS is generally covered by Chrome browser extensions. Web browser compatibility: We tested only those password managers that offered browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari at a bare minimum; these are the three most commonly used browsers in North America as of this writing. The extensions are responsible for auto-filling passwords and other forms, as well as for generating and saving new passwords when you change one or make a new account. The apps should walk you through the process of setting them up and giving them the permissions they need to work.
Ease of setup and use: A password manager should make it easy to transition from using browser-based password autofill or nothing at all , and to set up all the apps and browser extensions required.
Tools to fix your security problems: Once your data is in your password manager, it should be able to identify weak, reused, and compromised passwords, and it should give you clear and easy-to-follow directions for changing them.
Although password managers usually advertise a monthly subscription price, those prices are typically billed yearly. This feature is common in paid password managers but rare in free ones.
Added features: Your password manager should be, first and foremost, a good password manager. But the best ones also offer other, password-adjacent tools for improving your security, such as a generator for two-factor authentication codes or secure online storage for passport scans and other sensitive files.
Most of them also offer to auto-fill non-password things like contact information and credit card numbers. How we tested. The best password manager: 1Password. Prices current as of October 19, Taxes not included. Flaws but not dealbreakers. The best free password manager: Bitwarden.
Making a good master password. Other notable password managers. The competition. Jump back. Frequently asked questions.
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