Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

Getting a password manager is the most important way to improve your online security

Washington Post – “…After testing password managers that work across browsers and devices, I recommend one called Dashlane. It’s the one simple enough that you’re likely to stick with it, though its features are neck and neck with rivals 1Password and LastPass, which are also fine choices.

Dashlane, used by 10 million people, is free to try on a single device. You pay a subscription to make it securely sync up your passwords (and other secrets such as credit card details and ID numbers) across your computer, phone and tablet. At $3.33 per month, Dashlane happens to be the most expensive of the three, but like the Apple of the password game, its design and customer service are worth it.

Dashlane also has been largely free of drama over its own security. You would be right to wonder how safe it is to keep all your password eggs in one basket. All three of these companies keep your passwords encrypted behind a password they don’t know — so that even if they get hacked, the data is mostly useless. They never send your password over the Internet. In 2015, LastPass reported it was breached, though it reported that no passwords were stolen. There are no security guarantees, but I buy the argument that it’s okay to keep your eggs in one basket if it’s more secure than the basket you build on your own.

The biggest hurdle is changing your habits. With a password manager, you don’t memorize passwords — you retrieve them from an app. Let that sink in: You won’t remember your Gmail password anymore, but you’ll be better off because now your password can be a long bunch of gobbledygook that’s harder to crack…”

Sorry, comments are closed for this post.