password manager
If you are like me, then you may struggle with trying to remember your password for the many social media, banking and other online accounts you have.
The Login Struggle
With everything being online based these days, a username and password is an essential part of paying bills, connecting with others and maintaining security.
As I sat at my computer trying to remember my email password, I decided to explore the realm of password managers.
I have always been curious about using one to store all of my passwords. I then decided to conduct some research on password managers to see if using one would useful or just a waste of time.
To begin, a password manager is a service that provides you with a form of encrypted storage for all of your passwords. The user then uses a master password to log in to view all of the stored passwords.
Further, I decided to weigh the pros and cons of a password manager
Pros and Cons of a Password Manager
Pros
- Convenience
- Encrypted Storage
- Auto-Fill for Logins
- Save credit card info for easy shopping online
Cons
- If you lose the master password, you lose access to all of your passwords
- May not be supported across all devices
- Crashing
- Doesn’t always work
- Auto fill doesn’t engage and you have to manually call the PWM
When looking at the pros and cons of a PWM, several great reasons to implement one exist, as well as a few cons.
Continuing, with anything, the user should always consider the risk of a software / hardware / service in general not working %100 of the time.
I decided that having the convenience of a password manager outweighed the cons and decided to go ahead with choosing the right one for myself.
Choosing a Password Manager
When I tasked myself with finding the best password manager for me, I took to the world wide web in pursuit of the right fit.
I scrolled through article after article on what many claimed to be the “best password managers”.
While on the hunt, I can across several articles that provided great insight into the world of password management. (linked at the end of the article)
I also took the Twitterverse to find out what password managers professionals in the field of cyber security are currently using and recommend.
The top four most common PWMs I found and was also recommended are:
- LastPass
- Keeper
- DashLane
- 1Password
Overwhelmingly, I was recommended LastPass.
Key features of LastPass Include:
- A free version (Upgrade to premium version is $3 USD)
- Import previously stored passwords in browser (Chrome, Edge, Etc.)
- Password Generator
Other features include:
LastPass Password Manager
I installed LastPass on my devices, and now I am in the process of setting up my account.
Before I give a full review or recommend this PWM or any PWMs in general, I will be testing out LastPass over the next few weeks.
Stay tuned for updates on my password manager endeavor!
By Taylor Ritchey
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