Everydaytasks like checking email, posting on social media, and ordering groceriesonline require you to enter a password. In fact, one study found the average person now has about 100 passwords.
Weall know it's a bad idea to reuse passwords or to use weak passwords like thedog's name, a kid's birthday, or that infamous unsecure password: 12345. On theother hand, it's impossible to remember dozens of strong passwords.
Thegood news? Taking a few minutes to learn about the best way to store passwordscan safeguard your accounts fromidentity thieves, hackers, and nosyhousemates.
Why isit important to securely store your passwords?
Storingpasswords securely will help keep your important accounts safe from prying eyestrying to steal your data or your money. Hackers can use a variety oftechniques to crack weak passwords and wreak havoc on your life.
Therisks of failing to store passwords securely may include:
- Identity theft— An identity thiefwho gets into a key account may be able to steal important personalinformation, from your full name to your address to yourSocial Security number. They can use thisinformation to impersonate you, open credit accounts in your name, and create amess that may take months to fix.
- Account takeover— A hacker may beable to gain control of one or more of your accounts, from email to socialmedia. While you work to regain access, the attacker may message yourcolleagues, family, or friends to ask for money or scam them out of theirprivate information.
- Financial loss– A cybercriminal whogets your bank password may access your account before you realize there's aproblem. There arefederal protectionsfor unauthorized transactions, but resolving theissue can take time and leave you broke for months.
Youcan lower these risks and help keep your digital life under wraps by learninghow to store your usernames and passwords securely.
Howto store passwords securely
There are a variety of free and paid options to securely store your passwords. It'seasy to use the password manager feature on your internet browser, but adedicated password manager may offer an even better way to store your usernameand password for every important account.
Browserpassword managers
Popularinternet browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all offer a passwordmanagement feature. You can set the browser to ask you if you want to storeyour password whenever you create an account. You also can have the browserautomatically sign you into your account every time.
Thereare both pluses and minuses to usingyour browser to manage your passwords.
Prosof using a browser as a password manager:
- Convenient — The passwordmanager already exists in top internet browsers, so there's no need to downloadand learn a new application.
- Fast— It's quick and easyto tweak your settings and click "yes" when prompted to store yourpassword.
- Free— You can store yourpasswords in your browser without pulling out a credit card or agreeing to paya monthly fee.
Consof using a browser as a password manager:
- Only works on onebrowser—Do you ever switch browsers? If so, having your password management systemlinked to one browser may be a hassle.
- Fewer passwordgenerator options– Your browser should be able to generate a secure password for you. But youmay not have many options for customizing that password.
Notsure a browser password manager is right for you? A good password managerapplication may be the best place to store passwords.
Passwordmanager applications
Passwordmanager applications offer an excellent alternative to using your browser'spassword storage feature. Here are some of the pros and cons of using adedicated password manager application.
Prosof using a password manager application:
- Best place to storepasswords—A reputable password manager app is the best way to store passwords securely. Apassword manager allows you to easily create, manage, and access your securepasswords.
- Get custom strongpasswords–A password manager will generate strong passwords and allow you to designatethe number of characters, whether you want to include symbols and if you want astrong password that is easy to say or spell.
- May offer a free plan— Most passwordmanager apps offer a free plan with basic features that works on one device.It's definitely possible to get a password manager without pulling out yourcredit card.
Consof using a password manager application:
- Takes time to findthe right one— You may need to spend time comparingpassword manager options and prices to choose the right app for you. The sheernumber of available choices can be overwhelming, as can the choice between afree and paid plan.
- May be glitchy— Even the bestapplications get user complaints about occasional tech glitches such as a usergetting locked out of the password manager or not being asked if they want tosave a password.
- Requires a masterpassword—You typically need a long, very strong master password to log into yourpassword manager. You'll have to find a safe place to stash this password, andit can be difficult to gain access to your password manager if it gets lost.
Somepopular password manager applications* include:
- Dashlane–Dashlaneoffers a free plan for one device andpaid plans for two or more devices. The Dashlane family plan offers sixseparate premium plans managed under one account.
- RememBear–RememBearis a fun bear-themed way to keeptrack of your passwords. It offers a free plan for one device, and it has apaid premium plan for multiple devices with sync and backup.
- Bitwarden–Bitwardenis an open-source password managerthat offers a free plan and premium paid plans for individuals and businesses.It offers a free password generator and allows you to sync passwords acrossdevices.
- LastPass–LastPassoffers a free plan with a passwordgenerator for one device, a premium plan with encrypted file storage formultiple devices and a family plan.
- Keeper–Keeperoffers several paidpersonal plans and family plans as well as business and student plans.
It's worth taking the time to compare these and otherpassword managers to find one that offers the right mix of features at the rightprice for you.
Mostunsecure ways to store your passwords
Nowthat we've covered the best way to store passwords, let's talk about the worstways to keep track of your login information. Here's a list of the mostunsecure ways to store your passwords:
- Document on yourcomputer— Even if you password protect a Word document or spreadsheet, a hacker using akeystroke loggermay beable to captureyour passwords. And you'd also need a place to store the password for thedocument.
- Paper note— Jotting yourpasswords in a physical notebook or on a sticky note may keep your passwordsout of reach of hackers across the globe. But passwords stored this way can fallinto the hands of a burglar, a service person, house cleaner, a relative, or aroommate.
- Notes app on yourphone— Anyone who picks up your phone may get access to all your passwords unlessyour phone is protected with a strong passcode. You canlock a note with a passwordon an iPhone, butthen you run into the problem of how to store that password.
- Email— Have you everemailed yourself a password so you don't forget it? Emailsmay bestored on different serversand may even sit in trash folders after being deleted,making it easy for a hacker to swipe your passwords.
Fortunately,you now have a variety of much more secure password storage options toconsider. While a password manager can require a bit of a learning curve, it'smuch better than having your accounts hijacked because you stored yourpasswords the wrong way.
* The inclusion of websites, apps,brands, service providers or links does not imply endorsem*nt or support of anycompany, product, and/or provider listed herein, nor should it be inferred thatNortonLifeLock is endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with such brands.
Password challenged? Manage your passwords safely and securely online
Norton Antivirus Plus features Password Manager*, making it easy to create, store, and manage your passwords and other credentials.
Securely stores and remembers all your usernames, passwords and more so you don’t have to.
Learn More
*Norton Password Manager is not exclusively available in this plan and may be available online for free.
- Allie Johnson
- Freelance Writer
Allie Johnson is a freelance journalist who covers cybersecurity, privacy, and consumer topics. She has written for Bankrate, CreditCards.com, and Discover.
Editorial note:Our articles provide educational information for you. Our offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about Cyber Safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses. The Norton and LifeLock brands are part of Gen Digital Inc.
