A password manager can be a vital tool to keep your personal information out of the hands of online criminals – giving you a single log-in to an app that saves you having to remember lots of different codes.
Once you have signed in, you can use the app to store passwords for all your online accounts securely, or even log in to them directly from the password manager itself.
But there is a potential dark side to this technology as it could be a target for hackers.
A password manager can be a vital tool to keep your personal information out of the hands of online criminals – giving you a single log-in to an app that saves you having to remember lots of different codes
If a fraudster were able to steal your master password, they could gain access to key financial details all at once. So should you trust a password manager to keep your information safe?
The apps use software to store all an individual's passwords in a 'virtual bank vault'. They are then accessed via the single hard-to-crack master password.
Experts including the National Cyber Security Centre – part of the Government Communications Headquarters intelligence service (GCHQ) – believe a password manager makes an individual's data more secure.
But it has not stopped criminals targeting these password vaults. Last year, password manager LastPass discovered a flaw in its software that was fixed without it affecting the service. In 2015, it also had to fend off a cyber attack.
Password manager OneLogin also 'detected unauthorised access' last year but it was able to block it in time.
Colin Tankard, of Harlow-based data security company Digital Pathways, says a password manager does not offer bullet-proof security because it will always be a target for hackers.
Last year, password manager LastPass discovered a flaw in its software that was fixed without it affecting the service. In 2015, it also had to fend off a cyber attack
He adds: 'Its weakest point is the user, not the technology. A master password must be kept safe and not shared with anyone else. Without the password, criminals have no way of stealing a person's data kept inside the vault.'
Master passwords must be complex, containing lower case and capital letters, numbers and symbols in a sequence of at least 12 characters. Experts say using a story can help create a memorable password. For example, 'Fidoate!my2woolsox' – referring to a pet dog eating someone's socks.
Another option is to imagine a memorable picture scene. For example sitting in a Rolls-Royce with the stereo blaring out with Freddie Mercury singing 'We are the champions' while driving along the A406 North Circular road in London. This could trigger the password: 'RRFMwatc@A406'.
If you are worried about forgetting a master password it can be written down somewhere safe, but in a hidden place that only you know about. If you use the master password elsewhere or make it too simple – perhaps the name of your pet cat or first child – you are susceptible to being hacked.
Surprisingly, it is young people aged 18 to 24 who are most vulnerable to password hacks. Four in ten of this age group have shared online passwords with friends, while 85 per cent readily share personal details such as a birthday on social media. The software provided by a password manager is designed so it cannot be read by anyone else – even the security software provider – because the information is encrypted.
Among the providers worth considering are Dashlane, Keeper, Sticky Password, LastPass, 1Password and RoboForm
It means a dishonest employee or hacker who breaks into the software will only get a jumble of meaningless characters, unless they also steal your password. Among the providers worth considering are Dashlane, Keeper, Sticky Password, LastPass, 1Password and RoboForm.
You usually sign up for free but they tempt you to pay a yearly subscription of up to £30 with extras such as using the service from different computers and smartphones. Once you have entered the 'virtual bank vault' – sometimes also known as an 'electronic wallet' – you can start putting in personal details of all the services that you use as well as all your passwords.
You might like to include details such as your driving licence and passport number. You will find all the password services you have signed up to are clearly shown when you log in.
The password manager often automatically asks if you wish to save secret codes for services such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Netflix. But it is up to you to tap in the website, log-in details and passwords for other services that you might use – which can take time as well as a memory for exactly what they all are.
Although you can include a bank website, it will not usually allow you to go straight into an account without also manually putting in passwords and text codes, as banks have extra security measures.
You can also ask a password manager to generate new random 'strong' passwords that will be encrypted within the software – harder to crack codes that you will not need to remember.
'Multi-factor authentication' is another option to further improve security. This means tapping in a master password and then another layer of security – anything from fingerprint authentication to using a smart card where you put in a code to gain access.
There is no need to fear what happens if you suddenly lose your memory or die, as an 'emergency access' facility allows passwords to be retrieved by someone you trust – though it can take time as legal verification of this will be required.
A spokesman for the National Cyber Security Centre says: 'The password manager software provides a huge advantage in a world where there are already far too many passwords to remember. It enables the storage of complex codes without a need for you to remember them – making security not only better but far easier and more convenient.'
But the centre points out that users should be aware that password manager software could be a target for hackers.
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https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/18/can-you-trust-one-free-app-to-keep-all-your-passwords-safe/
Main photo article A password manager can be a vital tool to keep your personal information out of the hands of online criminals – giving you a single log-in to an app that saves you having to remember lots of different codes.
Once you have signed in, you can use the app to store passwords for all your online a...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/17/18/6317618-6400889-image-m-9_1542479202730.jpg
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