Password Management Tools: The Key Holders Of Digital Valuables.

We live in a world where virtually all we do is digitalised, and in such a world, just like padlocks and keys are used to secure physical files and valuables, passwords are the digital keys to our digital valuables. 

It's of great importance that our passwords are kept secure, and not only secure, but strong enough for an attacker to easily bypass.

Just like in the physical world, we sometimes misplace our keys or buy inferior quality padlocks and keys that can be unlocked without the original keys. This problem is also present in the digital world as we have forgotten passwords, weak passwords and stolen passwords due to improper handling.

And with the rise of many digital platforms requiring passwords to access, it becomes an herculean task to appropriately manage passwords.

This is where the role of password management tools comes into play.

Like a key holder, password management tools are used to manage different passwords to ensure safety and easy access, but, in this case, they do more than a physical key holder - they help generate passwords, store passwords, and help in the ease of using the right password for our different digital platforms.

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Here are some of the features of password management tools:

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Note: some password management tools perform just one of these features while others can perform many or all of these features.

✅ Password Generation: They help generate strong, complex passwords using some random algorithm that randomises strings, numerical values and symbols. They normally have a minimum character number with many having a minimum of 16 characters. 

✅ Password Storage: Some tools help store passwords in a secure location. These passwords are encrypted to protect it from being accessed by unauthorised access and the encryption is decrypted when the user enters a password for it. 

✅ Auto-Fill: These types of password management tools are time savers and convenient servers. They help you automatically fill in your passwords on the right platforms and even update the passwords when you change your password.

✅ Password Sync: Another variant of Auto-fill. In this case, they synchronise your password across different devices and browsers. Once you're signed into your password manager, they sync your passwords and, yes, they often Auto-fill it for you. 

✅ Security Alerts: There are password managers that help you determine the level of security of your password at any time. 

Few of the most popular password management tools are:

✓ Google Password Manager: Usually embedded in Chrome but works in sync with all your Google services and any device you're signed in. It is a comprehensive password management tool and has all of the above features.

✓ iCloud Keychain: For Apple users. It works and syncs across all of Apple's devices and softwares.

✓ Have I Been Pwned?: An online password management tool that tells you if your password has been breached before.

Why Use a Password Management Tool?

– Better Security: the passwords generated by password management tools are very secure and quite hard to bypass.

– It is Convenient: The ease of loging in is made easier.

– Encrypted Data:Your stored passwords are encrypted, making it extremely difficult for cybercriminals to steal your login information.

– It's a Time Saver: Via Auto-fill, password management tools save login time.

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When choosing a password management tool, ensure the following:

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→ Safety: some password management tools can cause more harm to your password than actually protect it. I mentioned three, they are very popular for a reason.

→ Reliability: Some password management tools are not reliable and can fail you. 

→ Popularity: Password management tools are very sensitive tools, just like our key holders, they need to be well known for trustworthiness and being well known means they offer great services.

→ Features: it's advisable to go for one that has multiple features than those with single or little features.

#Password #PasswordManagementTools #Apple #TechSeries 

– Joseph Chisom Ofonagoro

(Your Technical Writer)