Too short. Not strong enough. Already used in the past. Doesn’t include a number or symbol. These are a just a few of the all-too-familiar reasons why choosing a password can be a hassle.
Unfortunately, most people need to use and remember dozens of passwords to log into their online accounts: social media profiles, bank accounts, shopping apps, email inboxes, etc. Studies report that the average person has nearly 40 passwords to manage.[1] This can frustrate users and push them to choose less secure passwords, or reuse passwords for multiple accounts.
By doing this, users may leave themselves vulnerable to hackers attempting to access their online data and personal information, which can lead to identity theft and fraud.
The solution? Use a password manager to secure and keep track of your passwords. This tool not only suggests complex, hard-to-guess passwords for you to use, but it also keeps those passwords safe and organized.
Instead of using the same password for more than one account or creating a password with a common word or phrase (both practices can put your online data at risk), you can use a password manager to generate a random combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that you can use as your password.
It will also remember and store this much stronger password in a secure online repository that only you can access, so you won’t have to write it down on a physical sticky note or try to commit it to memory.
Many password manager products charge a subscription fee and include a personal plan, family plan, or business plan. However, some also offer free plans with limited functionality (finite number of passwords stored, fewer premium security features, etc.). If you need to remember and keep track of a lot of passwords, you may want to use a paid version of a password manager to keep your personal information safe.
Keeping your online data secure is becoming more and more important every day. Using a password manager can help to ease the frustration of remembering and keeping track of passwords, and it can help to ensure that the personal information you share online stays safe.
[1] Web Tribunal. 2022. Impressive Password Statistics to Know in 2022. https://webtribunal.net/blog/password-stats/#gref
