Note: If you use LastPass for work or personal, we strongly recommend you change your master password and enable multi-factor authentication. Further, you should change passwords for any financial, health-related, or other critical accounts
Passwords are annoying to keep track of manually and are the most vulnerable link in the security chain. Even the latest and greatest phones can only partially protect us from weak passwords. Proper cybersecurity protocols must be in place since we rely on the internet more than ever. In comes password manager services with features such as safely storing our passwords, one-tap logins, and unique password generation. When you use everything they offer, you'll never want to go back to trying to remember or write down your passwords again.
Benefits to using Password Managers
One password to remember
Since we have to create a new password for every account we make online, keeping track of each one can become a chore. Although a red flag for security reasons, some people reuse or share passwords for multiple accounts without thinking twice.
The chances are low that the average user will be interested in using a unique password for each account while remembering them all. A benefit to a password manager is that you only need to keep track of a single primary password. Nothing more, nothing less.
Lock passwords behind your biometrics for safekeeping
There isn't a single device that launches without biometrics these days, be it a fingerprint scanner or face unlocking features. As such, the added layer of locking and authenticating passwords in this manner has become more accessible physically for the user. Biometrics has played a vital role in cybersecurity since it makes it more difficult for hackers to get around. In most cases, these cybercriminals need physical access to your device to decrypt your data.
Most password manager apps allow you to add a biometrics lock before they can be opened, which should ease your mind. This form of multifactor authentication allows only you to access the password manager on your smartphone. Locking our passwords behind biometrics keeps these accounts more secure than ever.
Apps and websites can be autofilled with your saved credentials
One of the main reasons to have a password manager is to avoid manually typing in your account credentials all the time. Most password managers have an autofill feature, which works across multiple operating systems for apps, websites, and web browsers.
Having your email address and password filled in automatically allows you to log in to each account effortlessly. And in most cases, you can require biometrics, such as a fingerprint, before it inputs your account details. This is another way to keep others from accessing your passwords or accounts, which enhances your online security.
Unique passwords can be randomly generated for increased security
There are still people in 2022 who continue using phrases such as 123456, password, and qwerty to protect their accounts. This is scary and concerning in our modern era, where everything we do is online. Our smartphones, tablets, and computers house private and personal information unique to us as individuals, including messages, contacts, photos, and videos. And many of us access our bank accounts and credit cards using their respective apps. Not securing your account login information is risky, more so now than ever before, as we have shifted to a mobile-first world.
You can increase your password strength by combining uppercase and lowercase letters with a random assortment of symbols. A password manager can do this for you to generate unique passwords for each of your accounts. You won't even know your passwords, which is what you want since you'll be saving them to your password manager. You'll be able to lock them behind your biometrics and autofill them when needed, giving you the best of both worlds. This helps bridge the security gap until we can do away with passwords for good in the future.
Passwords are safely stored and encrypted for ease of mind
Keeping your saved passwords or credit card numbers in a plain text file on your computer isn't the safest way to store them, especially since it's unencrypted. Anyone with access to your computer, either locally or remotely, can open the document and view your account credentials with zero effort. And it doesn't matter how strong or weak your passwords are. They will be immediately exposed in easy-to-read text.
A password manager stores your passwords using the highest level of encryption, keeping them safe from outside threats. This includes hackers and malware infections looking to swipe your personal details without your knowledge. With phishing attacks, data breaches, and identity theft on the rise, you'll want to guard yourself against all potential online threats and vulnerabilities. Most modern password managers support the latest encryption methods, which use a “key” to encrypt and decrypt your data safely.
You are the only one who has access to these unique encryption keys, not even the password manager service. In most cases, you can pick where to store your passwords, giving you freedom of choice. Using a smartphone or computer to secure passwords offline is effective but risky. For example, if you lose access to that device, your passwords may be gone forever if you don't have a backup. Using a cloud-based solution to store them on an encrypted server is typically what most users do to avoid the headache.
Additional Information
Additional Services Available With Paid Subscription
For paid password manager apps, you'll often get a few extra options or perks not typically found in the free version counterpart. They offer features such as random password generation, autofill for simple logins, and access to your password across multiple devices. Some premium features include encrypted storage for your files, dark web monitoring to keep your accounts safe, and a dashboard to view your security statistics.
Using A Password Manager Can Make Your Login Experience Better And More Secure
When it comes down to it, there's no such thing as a good password, regardless of how complex you make them. Using a password manager has many benefits that allow you to ditch the old way of doing things without looking back. They are designed to protect your online digital life, from securely storing your passwords to using the autofill feature for easy account logins. As we inch closer to a passwordless future, we can use them to organize and store our passwords until passwords are no longer needed.