Context
It is not possible to remember passwords for every system that we use at work and at home. This article compares some of the main options for organizing and saving your credentials.
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Avoid This
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Explanation
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| Writing passwords physically (e.g., paper, notebooks, sticky pads, whiteboards). |
Physical items may be easily lost, unintentionally seen or stolen. |
| Listing passwords into a document file on a computer or hard drive (e.g. Word, Excel, Plain Text Editor). |
Hard drive documents can be easily lost, unintentionally seen or shared if a device is left unattended, or if a stolen hard drive is not encrypted. |
| Free 3rd-party applications or plug-ins. |
Smaller developers lack the resources to keep up with evolving threats and vulnerabilities, and free products may not provide the best security for your data. |
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Use This
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Explanation
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| Cloud Password Manager Services |
Paid services provide a convenient experience but are not immune to data breaches. Major providers such as LastPass and Norton have been compromised, and their customer data exposed. |
| Desktop Software Applications |
Paid software titles offer the ability to securely save and encrypt passwords offline, using your local device storage. Passwords stored locally are more immune to cloud system breaches, but pose an additional risk of data loss if the disk becomes corrupt, damaged or lost. |
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Use This
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Explanation
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| Built-in Browser Password Managers |
Built-in browser tools are free, easy to use and are less easily compromised than many 3rd-party products. They are supported by major browser developers and receive frequent, automatic updates each time the browser is launched.
- Chrome using Google Password Manager
- Safari using iCloud Keychain
- Firefox using its built-in password manager
- Edge using its built-in password manager
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| Operating System (OS) Password Managers |
Built-in OS tools are free, easy to use and not easily compromised, so long as you keep your OS updated regularly. |
Perfect Options
There are no perfect options that fully mitigate the of losing or exposing your passwords. However, by avoiding the worst options you greatly improve your data security.