How to Get Started With a Password Manager

By now we all know the importance of a long, secure password. With every new data breach in the news, we know we should change them. And if you can remember each unique password for each unique site, then good for you; but for the rest of us, we’ll need a little help keeping our passwords organized and secure, and for that we have third-party password manager apps like 1Password and Dashlane.

To get started, first research the services of these sorts of apps. Many offer free versions, but for extra features you may want to upgrade to a paid version. Then you’ll set up your master password, which is the only password you’ll need to commit to memory. Then every time you log in to your account on a site or service, you’ll be redirected to the password manager, asked to enter your master password, and the outside app will log you in from there. Basically, the third-party app is creating a secure password for you, and you are giving it authority to log in to your account on your behalf.

Now you can do away with having to remember unnecessary things like your mother’s maiden name or your pet’s birthday.