What Is the Smartest and Safest Way to Store Your Passwords?
Reading Time: 4 minutesIt’s vital you keep login credentials for online accounts safe from cybercriminals. But what’s the best way to do that?
These days, we all have so many digital accounts that it’s almost impossible to remember the login details for every single one. But without these crucial bits of data, we can’t get where we need to go online. So, how should you store your passwords so that they’re kept safe from loss and theft?
1. A Software Password Manager
Software password managers are one of the most popular methods of password storage today. In the US alone, 45 million Americans use password managers to keep their credentials safe. So, what can these programs offer?
Software password managers are applications that you can install to store your passwords, codes, usernames, and other important information that you want to keep safe. These apps are often free to download, though many offer additional features for a flat fee or subscription, such as biometric login.
Let’s take a look at DashLane, a well-known password manager app, to better understand how these products work.
The DashLane app uses a freemium model, in which you can use the basic version free of charge, or the premium version for a fee. The app is super easy to use and allows you to personalize your experience by opting for different features, such as hack warnings and password autofills for your day-to-day logins.
DashLane uses a variety of security features to keep users’ data safe, including two-factor authentication, strong password requirements, AES-256 encryption, and a zero-knowledge system. Dashlane can also provide users with strong passwords to protect their accounts and offers instant security alerts for breaches.
A number of trusted antivirus programs, such as McAfee and Norton, also offer users password managers as part of their plan. So, before you pay for a password manager app, check to see if you already have access to a password manager via your chosen antivirus provider.
Many reputable password managers employ high levels of security to protect user data, but this does not make them impervious to attacks. While such apps don’t make breaches easy, there have been many instances of data theft in the past, such as the numerous LastPass hacks seen throughout 2022. In August and December 2022, LastPass had its systems compromised by malicious actors. That August, the breach lasted for four whole days.
While LastPass has assured users that their passwords were not stolen, breaches like this call into question the true safety of software password managers.
2. A Flash Drive
Using a flash drive allows you to store your passwords in an offline setting. You’ve probably used a flash drive before to store important files and have the option of accessing them on multiple devices. But these nifty little devices can also be used to store your passwords and other important credentials.
Of course, flash drives are not designed to be especially secure. But if you don’t trust password managers, and you’re also not big on the other storage options available, using a flash drive may be a simple yet effective method. The way in which you store your passwords on your flash drive is up to you. You can keep them in a Word file, an Excel sheet, or a PDF, or even use your own code to better disguise them.
If you’re concerned about the low security levels of typical flash drives, you can get an encrypted drive to more effectively protect your information. These devices can often offer password protection, too. Examples of encrypted flash drives include the Kingston IronKey and the Apricorn Aegis Secure Key 3NXC.
3. Paper
You may think that using something as simple as paper to store your passwords would be unwise. But paper is a great way to keep your passwords safe in an offline setting, completely isolated from remote attacks.
Having a hard copy of your passwords also prevents you from losing them to technical malfunctions, which is always a risk when using any kind of digital storage method like flash drives and password managers.
Many people use simple notebooks to store their passwords, as they’re more robust than a piece of paper and provide more room to add extra credentials over time. But, like flash drives, notebooks are physical devices that can be easily lost. So if you want to use this password storage method, make sure you’ve got a secret and secure hiding place in mind where you can keep your credentials safe.
Additional Tips
On top of the storage methods above, you should also employ additional tactics to make sure your login credentials stay out of the wrong hands.
For example, consider splitting your passwords. Such a method involves storing different parts of your password in different locations. You may have the first half stored on a password manager app, and the other in a notebook kept in a safe place.
This makes it that much harder for a malicious actor to access your passwords in their entirety. The chance of your accounts being breached is drastically reduced when you split them up in this way.
It’s also wise to reset your passwords every now and then. This may seem inconvenient, but lets you stay one step ahead of cybercriminals by updating your information, making old passwords useless.
Lastly, you should always ensure that your passwords are highly complex. Simple passwords are quick to enter and easy to remember but are far easier for cybercriminals to crack. Using capital letters, symbols, and numbers can massively help in making your password more complex and harder to get a hold of.
Your Passwords Are Portals to Your Online Accounts
Our passwords keep our valuable data safe from malicious actors, so it’s important that we make their secure storage an absolute priority. While it’s tempting to simply remember your passwords or pop them in a form of notes app, this can be a big mistake. It’s always better to choose safety over convenience when it comes to your private data. So, if you want to secure your passwords, make sure you’re using an effective method.
Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/smartest-safest-way-store-passwords/
Ref: makeuseof