The most important password rule is also the hardest to follow on your own: use a different, strong password for every account. When one website is breached, attackers try the same email and password on many others. A password manager makes this rule easy.
What a password manager does
A password manager is an app that stores your passwords in an encrypted vault, which means they are scrambled so only you can read them. You remember one strong main password. The manager remembers the rest, creates new strong passwords for you, and fills them in when you sign in.
Common options
- Built in: Apple Passwords on iPhone and Mac, and Google Password Manager on Android and in Chrome.
- Separate apps such as Bitwarden and 1Password, which work across different brands of devices.
- If everyone in your household uses one kind of device, the built-in option can be enough. If you mix iPhone, Android and Windows, a separate app is often simpler.
Getting started
- Choose one password manager and install it on your phone and computer.
- Create a strong main password. A short sentence of several unrelated words is long and easier to remember.
- Write the main password on paper and keep it somewhere safe at home. Do not store it in the vault alone.
- Turn on two-step verification for the password manager itself.
- Start with your most important accounts: email, bank, and phone carrier. Change each to a new password generated by the manager.
- Add other accounts over time as you sign in to them. You do not need to do everything in one day.
Why email comes first
Your email is the key to your other accounts, because password resets go there. If someone gets into your email, they can reset many other passwords. Protect it first.
Plan for your family
Many password managers have an emergency access or sharing feature. Consider setting it up so a trusted person can reach important accounts if something happens to you.
I am happy to set this up with you, step by step. Get tech help.