A keychain is an encrypted container that securely stores your account names and passwords for your Mac, apps, servers, and websites, and confidential information, such as credit card numbers or bank account PIN numbers.
Each user on a Mac has a login keychain. The password for your login keychain matches the password you use to log in to your Mac. If an administrator on your Mac resets your login password, you need to reset your login keychain password.
My Website Password Organizer: One place to organize every website Login And Password
Nearly every website you visit, from dating apps to hyper-secure banking sites, insists you create a user account and think up a password. The problem? Human memory can't keep up with dozens upon dozens of passwords. Some people get the bright idea of using the simplest possible password, like "123456789" or "password." Others memorize one superbly random password and use it for everything. Either strategy is likely to make you the latest victim of identity theft.
Dashlane performs all the basic and advanced tasks we expect from a password manager, plus it comes with a VPN, retains a history of your logins, and scans your accounts for weak and compromised passwords.
Some password managers, such as LastPass, eliminate the need for a master password by offering a passwordless entry to your desktop vault. This technology is still being developed. A LastPass representative tells us the company will support next-gen FIDO2 passwordless biometric face and fingerprint authentication on the desktop later this year. Biometric logins are already supported on the LastPass app.
Before you commit to any password manager, you need to make sure it works on each device you use and doesn't prevent you from syncing your passwords across all your devices. Although support for Windows and macOS platforms is a given, several password managers now offer native Linux apps, too. The best password managers have browser extensions for every popular browser that can operate independently of a desktop app.
Most people use a password manager primarily to manage website credentials. In practice, when you log in to a secure site, the password manager offers to save your credentials. When you return to that site, it offers to fill in those credentials. If you've saved multiple logins for the same site, the password manager lists all those options. Most password managers also offer a browser toolbar menu of saved logins, so you can go straight to a saved site and log in automatically.
Some products detect when you change your password to an account and offer to update the existing password on file to the new one. Some record your credentials when you create a new account for a secure website. For maximum convenience, you should avoid password managers that don't automatically capture passwords.
Entering all your existing passwords into a password manager is a good first step. Next, you must identify weak and duplicate passwords and replace them with tough ones. Password managers can flag these bad passwords and help you improve them. A PCMag survey found that 70% of respondents reuse passwords for their accounts. Clearly, then, removing reused passwords is one of the biggest ways a password manager can improve your security. Some password managers even check whether you have set up multi-factor authentication for those services in your vault that support it and whether your personal information appears in any data breaches.
Most password managers include a built-in mechanism for securely sharing passwords with other users, but some go further with advanced permissions. For instance, a few password managers allow you to share a login without making the password visible, revoke sharing, or make the recipient an owner of the item.
Logging in with your secure username and password to a website that doesn't use a secure HTTPS connection is a big no-no. Some password managers warn you about insecure login pages. Even when you use HTTPS, sniffers and snoops can still learn some things about your activity, such as the simple fact you're logging in to the secure site and the IP address from which you're connecting. Running your secure connections through a virtual private network, or VPN, adds a layer of protection. Dashlane includes a simple built-in VPN. RememBear and NordPass, respectively, come from the same companies behind Editors' Choice VPNs, TunnelBear VPN, and NordVPN.
Although a password manager needs to offer advanced features, it should remain easy to use and avoid needless complexity. Users who get annoyed or baffled by a password manager may abandon it and go back to using sticky notes to store and share passwords or, worse, apply the same password everywhere. Note: If you get fed up with your current tool, we have a guide for switching to a new password manager.
A password organizer of some sort is essential these days, to help you keep track of the myriad of passwords that you have set up for websites, online accounts and more.google_ad_client="ca-pub-2194995392836201";google_ad_slot="3913829680";google_ad_width=336;google_ad_height=280;Why do I think you need some type of system for organizing passwords? Here's three reasons.First, even if you think you can remember all those passwords, frankly, you can't. Everyone's mind slips sometimes, and you may not log in to certain accounts but once or twice a year, making it difficult under the best circumstances.Second, it isn't just the passwords you need to sometimes know, but also usernames, what email address you have associated with the account, the name or web address of where to log in, or a myriad of other information. Third, what happens if you're incapacitated for a while? How would a trusted friend or loved one be able to access the sometimes vital information within these accounts if you are unable to do so if you haven't given them some type of information to go by.So hopefully you're convinced you need some type of password organizer to help you deal with this information. In fact, I find it so important that I've devoted part of one of the 52 week organizing challenges, the Organize Passwords Challenge, to this task.What I find the most helpful when doing any type of organizational challenge is, along with reading the general instructions for how to do it, which you can get when you read the challenge article, is to see how those instructions get executed, in real life. These real world example can help me decide what will work best for me, which is the whole point of organization.That's why I've created this Password Organizer Hall of Fame, to show you what others have done. I've got examples of how you can use either paper or electronic methods for organizing passwords, so you can choose the method that will work best for your needs and personality.Scroll down to the see them now, and once you've done the challenge for yourself make sure to submit your own photos here of what you accomplished. The best photos will be featured here on the site.
One possibility for keeping track of your passwords is to use a paper password journal. This could be either a spare address book that you use for this purpose, a password organizer book that you purchase that is designed for this exact use.I've got a couple example photos of these journal organizers from readers to help you get a sense of whether this might be the right choice for you.The photos above were sent in by a reader, Marion, who said, "For years I've used a separate address book to store all my user name and passwords. I store it right by my computer and because it looks like an address book no one thinks twice about it. It has saved me many a time because I can't remember passwords for the life of me!"Here's another similar book, as shown by photos sent in by Kristi. She said, "I use this little "address" book. It's from the Current store. I love it!"Finally, above is another photo from a reader, Karen, who also had one of these books or journals.If you're looking for pre-made and pre-printed password organizer options here are some you can choose from:amzn_assoc_placement="adunit0";amzn_assoc_search_bar="true";amzn_assoc_tracking_id="hss101site-20";amzn_assoc_ad_mode="manual";amzn_assoc_ad_type="smart";amzn_assoc_marketplace="amazon";amzn_assoc_region="US";amzn_assoc_title="Password Organizer Books Referral Links";amzn_assoc_linkid="ae32602f3f78da6c80534737bc5c4d0f";amzn_assoc_asins="1441303251,0996337407,1545261261,B009YK2GOA";
Another possible way to organize passwords, which is similar to the method shown above with the journal, is to make your own organizer form, which you can either print and fill out, or electronically update.The photo above is from a reader, Anna, who created her own form. She said, "I recently created a password-protected document for my passwords and logins. I have tried the little booklet that I would carry in my bag every day--the first two pages fell apart, plus I was always having to go get it and run back upstairs to the computer. I tried a regular document but didn't feel it was a good idea if someone got on my computer and could access the list. This new document is awesome, and I have it saved to my work computer as well as my home computer. Someday, when I replace my malware-infested laptop, I will also save it there."She included tips for how she likes to organize the information on the form, stating:"Tips:* List in Alpha order by site.* Remind your husband frequently, so he doesn't freak out because he can't find that scribbled note with his passwords on it that you shredded."Another reader, Marlo, sent in the photo above of a similar password form she has created for herself. She explained, "I created this a few years ago for my bills and frequently used passwords. I keep it in my bill binder which is kept in my bedroom. I also created a similar one for my husband to keep track of his mother's passwords for her household binder as he manages her finances since she's unable, battling dementia."If you don't want to create your own form, I have already created a free printable password form organizer here on the site that you can use. Grab your copy today! 2ff7e9595c