Five best password managers
A while ago, all it took to be a
great password manager was to keep your passwords in an encrypted vault. Now
the best password managers give you the option to sync or keep them local only,
change web passwords with a click, log in to sites for you, and more.This week,
we're looking at five of the best options.
LastPass
LastPass is clearly the juggernaut
here, and for good reason. The service was one of the first that really made it
easy to store all of your passwords either online and synced with other computers
and devices, or locally on one device. In short, LastPass remembers your
passwords so you don't have to, and makes it easy to audit your passwords, use
stronger passwords in general, and even automati cally change a password for
you if a service has been hacked or compromised. The service picked up a
much-needed update a year or so ago to make it easier to use, and sports a
number of additional features like credit monitoring, secure password and
document storage and more. It's free to download and use, but if you want its
best features and the mobile apps, you'll need to upgrade to LastPass Premium,
at $12 (`750 approx) yr.
KeePass
KeePass, a free and open source,
keeps your passwords stored in keeps your passwords stor side an encrypted
database that you control, on your own system, and are never synced or uploaded
anywhere unless you want to take them from machine to machine. KeePass is a
portable app, mean ing it's super easy to take with you and use on multiple
computers. It has its own password generator, to help you change passwords.
KeePass' auto-type functionality works in all windows and all browsers, which
means that KeePass can log in to sites that other password managers can't, and
can also log in to password prompts that you'd otherwise have to copypaste a
password into.
Dashlane
Dashlane launched in beta back in
2012, and has risen to prominence since because of its attention to its sharp
interface, simple security and easy auto-login. It's picked up a number of
updates since then, including support for two-factor authentication, the
ability to share passwords with emergency contacts and most recently, the
ability to change multiple passwords on dozens of websites with a few clicks.
Dashlane will also notify you if you have an account on a site that's hacked,
and with its builtin password changer, you can have Dashlane reset the password
to a new, unique, strong one without leaving the interface. You can change all
your passwords at once too. It's free to download and use, but if you want your
passwords synced across devices, you'll need Dashlane Premium, at $40 (`2,500
approx)yr.
1Password
1Password 1Password looks great,
comes with a strong password generator to help you pick good passwords every
time you change one. It has secure notes for other passwords, a digital wallet
for bank accounts and payment info, and a password `recipe' builder that lets
you customise passwords to your demands. You can also set up emer gency
contacts and share pass gency contacts and share pass words with authorised
users.
One of 1Password's stand out feature
is that you get a premium product for a one-time fee. You can download and try
it out for free, or buy a single license for $ 50 (`3,000 approx) or buy a Mac
and Windows license bundle for $70.
(`4,300 approx).
RoboForm
RoboForm gives you the option to
keep your passwords and data encrypted and local, or sync to the web and across
devices if you choose to, but the choice is completely up to you.It supports
multiple identities, so you can autofill form information based on different
users, addresses, or any other mix-and-match of data you choose. You can also
take RoboForm with you on a USB drive from computer to computer. RoboForm has
book .marking features to help you keep track of your favorite sites.
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