Do you use different passwords for all your accounts? Although it’s a best practice for maximum levels of cybersecurity, many of us don’t. A 2017 survey of 1,000 smartphone users conducted by Keeper Security found than 87% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 30 (as well as 81% of those 31 and older) reported using the same password for multiple apps and/or accounts.
If you want to avoid becoming the victim of a data breach, maintaining strong passwords is vital. The 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report stated most data breaches that involve hacking result from weak and/or stolen passwords. But it can be difficult to remember unique passwords for all your accounts without resorting to unadvisable methods like writing them down on post-it notes on your desk.
So what’s the best way to track and maintain all of your passwords? Cybersecurity experts typically recommend turning to password management software, according to the Pew Research Center Report “Americans and Cybersecurity.”
A password manager is an application that often comes in the form of a plugin for your browser and stores your info in an encrypted database, according to Webroot. Here are a few of the main benefits of using a password manager.
1. It’s the most secure way to manage your passwords. Given the number of different accounts the typical person maintains these days, it’s basically impossible to establish and remember an adequately strong and unique password for each one, according to the Vice article “How Password Managers Work and Why You Should Use One.” Storing them all in a document – whether it’s a Word doc or a written list on your desk – isn’t a good idea, since a hacker or thief could easily gain access to it and then infiltrate all your accounts.
A password manager acts as a kind of virtual lock box. You just need to remember one strong password to get into the manager, and it will take care of remembering all of your other passwords for you. And it’s much harder for someone to get ahold of than a regular document/piece of paper.
2. It lets you access your password library across multiple devices. A password manager is typically accessible and can fill in your unique passwords across all of your devices, according to the Popular Mechanics article “You Should Be Using a Password Manager.” Whether you’re on your laptop, phone, or PC, you don’t have to worry about remembering your password.
3. It keeps you safe from keyloggers by autocompleting your passwords. One of the ways that hackers break into accounts is by installing malicious keyloggers that secretly track your keystrokes to get your passwords, according to Webroot. If you have a password manager that autocompletes everything for you, you don’t have to type in your passwords anymore, and your accounts will stay secure even if hackers get a keylogger installed on your device.
4. It overall just makes your life easier. In addition to making all of your accounts more secure, a password manager is simply convenient and will save you the time and hassle of trying to remember what might be hundreds of different passwords. You’ll never again have to sit at your computer racking your brain for which password you used for a particular account.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of password managers and other cybersecurity tools and solutions, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We work with a wide range of IT security vendors and have security experts on staff who can answer any questions you might have. Just call 877-599-3999 or email sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
