Why would anyone need a password manager? Everyone knows someone or some people who have had their email or social media accounts hacked. It may seem trivial and a slight burden; suddenly there are random posts being made by a friend on Facebook, someone lets them know, they reset their password, problem solved. Right? Maybe…
How many of you use the same password for just about everything? Say someone figures out your Facebook password which is also your email password. Do you have any sensitive information in your Inbox? Is that same password the one you use for your bank’s website? See where I’m going here?
It happened to my Netflix account earlier this year. I still had access and could watch movies but there was an unrecognized name on the account. When I tried to log in to give them the boot, I couldn’t log in – they had changed my password. In about 10 minutes it was resolved. But what if it were my Amazon Prime account and they decided to rent a bunch of movies instead?
How Strong Is Your Password?
Do you think you have a strong password? Find out how long it would take a computer to figure out your password using this free online tool. The password I used to use back in the day would have taken 41 minutes. The one I use today would take 3,000 years to crack.
Password Manager
Ideally, we all set up insanely difficult passwords for everything, careful not to use the same one more than once. But how would we even remember them all? That’s where a good password manager tool comes into play. You let the software generate and store the passwords and all you have to do is remember one password (that you set) to log into the software.
I’ve been using Dashlane for about six months now. After their free trial, I purchased their 5-year plan for $149 because I knew it was a tool that I would rely on. They have a free version that allows you to store passwords on one device but that doesn’t work for me since I have two laptops and a SmartPhone that I use all the time.
Dashlane installed on my laptops and as an app on my phone. I log into it and can see all of my passwords and any additional information I want to store (account ID’s, security question answers, etc.). It’s a breeze to use and most browsers have a Dashlane add-on that will automatically log you into a website if it recognizes the site/login area. This isn’t 100% perfect but a lot of it has to do with the websites themselves and not so much the Dashlane tool.
The coolest part? Once I set up all my passwords, Dashlane let me know which ones sucked and needed to be changed. All I had to do was review the list and say “yes, change these passwords” and it changed them for me. I’m talking like 10-15 passwords to different websites. All changed to something super complex that I don’t have to remember anymore.
If you do come across a site that Dashlane isn’t logging into (I run across this on my mobile phone more than laptop), all you have to do is hit the Dashlane app, copy the password, and paste it in. It’s an extra step but once you’re logged into most of your apps, the phone keeps you logged in. Dashlane combined with a fingerprint unlock feature on a phone and you’re pretty protected!
Try Dashlane for Free
Dashlane is free for a single device so what do you have to lose? You could lose a lot if you don’t tighten your password situation up a bit!
Conclusion
We can’t be too safe with our data anymore. Hackers can access your computer to break the law, leaving you in potential legal trouble. Get a password manager to make your accounts more difficult for someone to access. And spend the $10/month on identity theft protection so you have peace of mind knowing your information is being monitored 24/7.
Read our article on identity theft protection here.
