Bytetin Six: Level-up… with a password manager

00110 

The pandemic accelerated the move to using the internet for socialising, work and shopping.  This means that most of us now have more digital accounts, use our work and personal emails more and, by nature, have more passwords.   

Most of us know that using the same password for multiple websites and apps is dangerous. To reinforce this, take a look at www.securedyou.com/the-top-100-most-commonly-used-passwords and scroll to the infographic to see how much time is required to crack a password. 

If one account is hacked, then all your others at risk. But, remembering loads of passwords is tricky – which is why using a password manager is essential.  

If you don’t have one already, this is our single strongest recommendation for this month. 

We follow the NCSC’s guidance on passwords and suggest making them longer rather than upping the complexity.  

Why? Because longer passwords are much harder to hack than shorter, more complex ones. Your password manager will automatically create long random passwords for your accounts, which it remembers for you. Aim to be at the state of only having to remember three passwords in your head: your home Wi-Fi; your password manager’s and your work log-on. 

We admit that there’s a hump to overcome initially in setting up a password manager and adding all your accounts to it – but, from our experience, it is well worth the set up time. This could be the single action you take which will secure your personal information and also make your life a lot easier.  

Still need persuading? Read what the NCSC has to say: www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/password-managers  

Try out this fun tool to see how easy your password is to guess:  www.random-ize.com/how-long-to-hack-pass