I think everyone has jotted down a new password on a sticky note or scratch piece of paper, like for online banking, or when setting up a new account. Then, sometime later you need to log-in and find you misplaced the sticky note and need to call the bank to reset your password and engage in the set-up process all over again. People who have experienced this inevitably graduate to the idea of making one universal password for everything, like using the birthday date of a child or spouse, or something simple to remember like “Password1234.” This works fine until it doesn’t because it is too weak. These types of passwords are easy to hack or compromise, exposing the password owner to identity theft or worse. On the other end of the spectrum, strong combination passwords such as “@2a&AY8mePu8HU@H” are difficult to hack but hard to remember. The human memory is not able to keep up with dozens of characters and numbers, nor generate them randomly. The reality is, we need to keep access to our private information secured and we need a password for everything from using a dating app to logging into our hyper-secured bank accounts. Most password managers solve all the issues noted above and can help you with online applications and credit card purchases with a saved, secured, “autofill” form feature (Neil J. Rubenking, PCMag, The Best Password Managers for 2020, February 7, 2020, https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-password-managers).
A password manager is like a digital safe that stores the login information you use to open, access, or log in to websites, apps on mobile devices, files, and programs of all kinds.
You can sync it with your computer or devices to remember your login information to access online banking, Google Gmail, emails, and save credit card information for online purchases. While keeping your identity, credentials, and sensitive data safe, a password manager can also generate, save, and sync with individual accounts a strong, unique password to ensure you are not reusing them.
Quality password managers provide an autofill feature that allows you to save your name, email, address, phone number, and credit card information. As Clifford Colby with c|net notes, “with just one master password -- or in some cases a PIN or even your fingerprint -- you can autofill a form or password field. Some also feature online storage and an encrypted vault for storing documents (Clifford Colby, c|net, The best password manager to use for 2020, May 13, 2020, https://www.cnet.com/how-to/best-password-manager-to-use-for-2020/).”
RB’s Recommends LastPass Password Manager
We have been using and recommending LastPass password manager for several years, but don’t just take our word for it. LastPass password manager has been evaluated and recommended by PCMag and c|net along with other computer industry publications.
Benefits of LastPass Password Manager
• Offers free version
• Base price beyond free: $36 per year
• Works with: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iPhone, and iPad. Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Opera.
Many password managers offer a free option, but only allow you to use it with one device unless you pay for more service. The free version of LastPass on the other hand does not, it gives you the ability to store passwords, user login info, and credentials and sync all of it wherever you want, across desktop and mobile devices and browsers. You can also share a login item with another person (Clifford Colby, c|net, The best password manager to use for 2020, May 13, 2020, https://www.cnet.com/how-to/best-password-manager-to-use-for-2020/).
For $36 a year, you can buy the Premium version of the password manager to share passwords, logins, memberships, and other items with trusted family members and friends, use multifactor authentication through YubiKey and get 1GB of encrypted storage.
Finally, with a $48 annual subscription, you can sign up for Family Plans that give you six individual accounts, shared folders, and a dashboard for managing the family accounts and keeping an eye on your account's security.
To learn more about LastPass, click here. RB’s Computer Service can help you set-up LastPass or a password manager of your choice. We can help you integrate it with your laptop, desktop computer, office network, and other devices. For a hassle-free consultation, contact us via phone or email: 763-441-3884 or help@rbsmn.com.
In addition to password managers, we also offer computer repair and Ransomware strategies and sell the best commercial-grade firewall routers, best laptop computers, best desktop computers, business computers, computer parts, and computer monitors. For the iPhone, smartphone repair, and tablet repairs, do not hesitate to contact us. We work with customers and clients locally and throughout central Minnesota and St. Cloud.