Want to stay secure when logging into any account online? Try using one of the trusted password managers listed below. These secure applications help manage your login credentials.
LastPass
LastPass stores your authentication information for each website or service in your personalized LastPass account. Upon creating an account with LastPass, you will be prompted to save each site you usually log in to. LastPass will automatically fill in the login information each time you return to that site, making your browsing experience fast and easy. You only need to create a very strong master password. An example of a strong master password is 15 characters including letters, numbers and symbols.
Your LastPass account will show you all the accounts and passwords you have stored. You can edit, delete, and organize any of your login information on your account. LastPass also syncs all your information automatically. If you are using a different computer or mobile device, you can download LastPass and log in to the same account. All your stored data will be accessible and you will always have access to the latest updates, no matter which computer you are using.
LastPass will notify you directly if you have any duplicate or weak passwords or if any of the sites or services you are using have been hacked. LastPass provides three different levels of service: Free, Premium, and LastPass Enterprise. Check out specific features at the LastPass webpage.
1Password
1Password creates strong passwords for all your sites. 1Password includes a password generator feature to take the trouble out of creating a long password by yourself. 1Password Watchtower is a service that keeps you informed about login security. If any of your login credentials become compromised or vulnerable, Watchtower will tell you which site needs a new password. 1Password supports Windows, Android, and Apple devices. 1Password allows you to have multiple and shared password vaults. All account information is automatically synced to make sure that every device is up to date.
You can have separate vaults for work, personal, and other groups to keep your login information organized. 1Password will show you which passwords are weak, duplicated, or old. This informative feature lets you determine which passwords to delete or update. A 1Password licence for a single platform is $50 for both Mac and Windows. Visit the 1Password website for more information.
iCloud Keychain
This Mac application keeps your wi-fi network information, Safari website usernames and passwords, and credit card information up to date and secure across all approved devices. For credit card information it does not store or automatically fill in the credit card security code. The iCloud Keychain also keeps the accounts you use in Contacts, Mail, Calendar, etc. up to date across all your Mac computers.
Once iCloud Keychain is turned on for an additional device, your other devices that use iCloud Keychain will receive a notification. This notification will request approval for the additional device. An iCloud Security Code is created after setting up the iCloud Keychain. The iCloud Security Code can be a 4-digit code or a more complex code that is automatically generated for you. If your mobile Apple device is running iOS 7.0.3. or later, the iOS setup assistant will prompt you to set up the iCloud Keychain.
Pros and cons of using the password cache in your browser
A password cache is a temporary copy of your authentication information stored on the computer. For example, when you are browsing online on a site you frequently visit, you won’t be continually prompted to re-enter the password. Instead, each time you log in, the password will automatically entered for you. If you are using Chrome, you can allow the browser to store your account information across multiple devices. Some benefits of using the password cache in your browser include having faster load times and less bandwidth usage. You will also have extra security from screen scraping and keystroke logging malware. Screen scraping is the process of collecting screen display data from a device that is sent to another device to be displayed.
If you are concerned with people peering over at your fingers to see what password you are typing onto the keyboard, using the password cache can be beneficial. However, when using the password cache, any updates to password need to be entered, usually by providing new credentials on a web site but sometimes manually. If you update your password on a site and don't update your browser's cache, old information can be used to attempt to login to the site if the cache is not properly utilized. If you are using easy and common passwords with the password cache, this could serve as a potential problem if a hacker could easily guess your password. Make sure to continue to use strong passwords, even if you using the password cache.