The Power of Password Managers

The Core Problem: Human Memory

If you are like most people, you use the internet incorrectly. You likely have one or two “base” passwords (like Rambo2015! or Springfield99) that you use for almost every website, maybe changing the last number if the website forces you to.

This is the single biggest security mistake you can make.

Hackers don’t guess your passwords manually. They use automated databases. If you used Rambo2015! on a small, insecure knitting forum in 2018, and that forum was hacked, the hackers instantly put your email and Rambo2015! into a giant list. Bots then take that list and try logging into banking sites, Amazon, and Gmail using that exact combination.

If you reuse passwords, a breach on one terrible website instantly compromises all of your accounts.

The Solution: A Password Manager

A Password Manager is a secure app on your phone and computer that acts as a digital vault.

It does three things:

1. Generates perfect passwords: Instead of you creating Password123!, the manager generates mathematically random passwords for every website, like xH9#pL2@qW4$mN8!.
2. Remembers them for you: You no longer need to remember 100 different passwords. You only need to memorize one highly secure Master Password to unlock the vault. The manager remembers all the rest.
3. Autofills them: When you visit Netflix, the Password Manager automatically types the complex password in for you. You don’t even have to look at it.

How to Get Started Today

1. Choose a Reputable Manager

Do not use a notebook. Do not use an Excel file. Use an industry-trusted password manager. The top recommendations for everyday users are:

• Bitwarden: Excellent, completely free, and open-source.
• 1Password: The industry gold-standard for families and businesses (costs a few dollars a month).
• Apple Passwords / Google Password Manager: Built directly into your phone and very easy to use, though less flexible if you switch between Apple and Android devices often.

2. Create your Master Password

This is the only password you ever have to remember again, so make it a “Passphrase.” A Passphrase is a string of 4 or 5 random words strung together. It is incredibly easy for a human to remember, but mathematically impossible for a computer to guess.

• Bad: F1d01999! (Hard to remember, easy for a computer to guess).
• Perfect: horse-battery-staple-correct (Extremely easy to remember, impossible for a computer to guess).

3. Start Updating Gradually

Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change all 200 of your accounts in one day. Just download the app, and going forward, whenever you log into a website, change the password to a randomly generated one and save it in your new vault. Start with your most critical accounts today: your primary Email account, and your Bank.