Password Saver Protects Data

You would think that people would have learned how to make a good password by now, but they haven’t. The most popular passwords of 2014 still include “123456,” “password,” and “qwerty.” It is a no brainer that these are not secure passwords, and it is time to stop using them.

A secure password should be at least eight characters and include letters, numbers and symbols. It should also have random upper and lowercase letters. If you are allowed to use enough characters, a whole sentence including punctuation can sometimes make a decent password.

You should use different passwords for every site. You never know who may obtain a list of usernames and passwords and try them on other sites. Also, make up your own security questions if possible. Often the ones provided are far from secure and could be answered simply by looking at your social media page.

It can be difficult to remember a complex, unique password for every site. If you make strong passwords, but then resort to sticky notes on your monitor or a document titled “passwords” to keep them straight, you undermine your own security. Your passwords should be stored only in your head.

A password keeper can help. A password keeper app can create and keep track of all your passwords for you and lets you log on to all your sites and programs using one master password. Because you never have to type them in, all your passwords can be completely random. A random password is much more difficult for even a computer to crack, and hackers usually go for the easier targets.

The master password for your password saver is the only one that you will have to remember and enter. Your master password should focus on unpredictability and length. For added security, some password keepers let you set a two-part authentication. These require a second validation in addition to your master password. The second validation could be a PIN sent to your mobile phone, or a fingerprint.

Don’t let the frustration of trying to remember all of your passwords make you resort to using simple, insecure ones. Let a password safe help you keep all your passwords (and personal information) secure.