Password Managers#
The problem#
Passwords are hard to remember#
NordPass has been tracking password usage for years, and since their last report in 2024, the average person has over 255 passwords (168 personal and 87 work-related).1 Remembering all these passwords is nearly impossible for a personal to do without some form of assistance, otherwise you'll likely end up reusing passwords.
What is wrong with reusing passwords?#
Reusing passwords is a bad idea because if one of your accounts is compromised, a hacker could possibly gain access to all other accounts that use the same password. This is called credential stuffing, and it is one of the most common ways hackers get into accounts.2 Through automated tools, hackers can test the leaked username and password combinations on many different websites to see if they can gain access.
But how likely is it that my password will be compromised?#
It is extremely likely that one of your passwords has been compromised. In fact, in one study, 46% of Americans knew that one of their passwords has been compromised in the past year.3 Now this is not all from data breaches, some of this is from simple or easily guessable passwords, but it is still a large number nonetheless.
Still not convinced?
If you do not believe me, you can check yourself to see if your email or password has been compromised in a data breach. If it has, you need to stop using that password immediately.
The Solution#
Password managers are the best solution for managing passwords. They allow you to store all your passwords in one place, and only require you to remember one master password to access the rest. Depending on your risk tolerance, you can use a password manager in different ways, but regardless of how you use it, it is a good idea to use one.
Most password managers have a variety of features that can help make the entire process easy and secure:
- Password generation: They can generate strong, unique passwords on the fly
- Password auditing: They can check against known data breaches to see if your passwords have been compromised
- Syncing: They can sync your passwords across all your devices, so you can access them from your phone, or your computer
- Secure sharing: They can allow you to securely share passwords with others, without having to send them via email or text
- Browser integration: They can integrate with your browser to automatically fill in passwords for you
There are many password managers out there, and some good ones include 1Password and Dashlane. Personally, I recommend Bitwarden, but if you use either of the other two, you should be fine as well. No matter which one you choose, make sure its not LastPass though.4