One of the best actions you can take to ensure your online security is using a password manager. The creation of strong, one-of-a-kind passwords is made simple with the help of a reliable password manager, and once they are saved securely, they are accessible on any device you require, be it a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or phone. In essence, they eliminate 90% of the effort involved in staying secure online.
At this point, hopefully everyone is aware of the significance of using a different password for each of your online accounts. The short explanation is that if you use a single password across all of your accounts, an attacker could potentially have access to your whole online profile if just one of the websites you use is compromised. If you use a password manager, breaches still matter, but only one password needs to be reset rather than many.
Although several password managers have various selling points, the majority of them offer the same fundamental functions. When you use them on websites, they'll prompt you to save passwords and generate passwords that they safely keep. Additionally, they'll sync your passwords between devices and, if necessary, automatically type them into apps and websites.
Although there are several excellent password managers that have a monthly price, we're going to concentrate on free options in this tutorial. Although all of them have paid subscription tiers, the free tier for the majority of them provides the fundamental functionality of a password manager.
Bitwarden is the option we believe is ideal for most users.
The best for most people: Bitwarden
Bitwarden essentially contains all the features you could ask for in a password manager. It features native desktop programs for Windows, macOS, and Linux, is available on iOS and Android, and connects with all of the main browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge.
Although Bitwarden uses the cloud to sync passwords between devices, its security has also been examined by a third-party security firm, and it claims to save passwords in an encrypted format that only you can decrypt. As an additional security measure, you can choose to use two-factor authentication to safeguard your Bitwarden account.
It was simple to import our passwords, and Bitwarden's help pages have instructions for several well-known password managers. On iOS and Android, it enables biometric security, and all of its software is aesthetically pleasing and simple to use.
Although Bitwarden does offer paying levels, most users will probably be able to live without the majority of the services they have to offer. Paying grants you access to reports on the overall security of the passwords you are using, encrypted file attachments, and more second-factor security choices. However, you can check to see whether specific passwords have been exposed in a password breach even on the free tier. Paying grants you access to a built-in one-time code generator for two-factor authentication, although using a different app is simple and possibly more secure.
