All main internet browsers have their own built-in password managers. However, they don’t stack up next to a program dedicated to nothing but managing internet passwords. Many browsers such as Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer actually store your various passwords unencrypted on your hard drive. Unless your hard drive has been encrypted, anyone is able to hack into your computer and steal your passwords, and thus, your personal information found on all the websites you visit.

While Mozilla Firefox does allow you to store your passwords in a form that is encrypted using a master password, its password manager isn’t the best option either. It has no features in its interface that allow it to create random auto-generated passwords. It also isn’t able to sync across multiple platforms, such as the iOS systems. A password manager that is dedicated will solve these issues, as well as allow you to manage your passwords on all the devices, computers and smartphones that you use. So, which password managers are best? We think three stand out.

Three Great PassWord Managers

Dashlane is newer than several others, so it may not be as recognizable. However, their apps for nearly every major operating system and platform make them stand out. They also have a dashboard that helps you analyze the security of your passwords. It also has a feature that can randomly change your passwords for you. The best part—it’s free if you’re only using one device. If you need to upgrade, it’s simple and inexpensive. With Dashlane, you can choose to store your passwords in the cloud or on your hard drive.

LastPass is a great password manager that is cloud-based. It has everything you could need to operate it across any operating system and multiple browsers. Not only is it very powerful, it also features authentication that requires two steps for added security. This makes it impossible for anyone else to get into your vault.

KeePass. There are people who aren’t willing to use a cloud-based password manager like LastPass. If that’s you, KeePass is a great option. It has mobile apps, browser extensions, and is a desktop-based application. This allows you to always be able to manage and access your passwords and even the program’s code if you felt like it. The part you may not like is having to manage your passwords yourself. Syncing them between all your devices would need to be done manually.

What You Need to Know to Get Started With a Password Managers

There is only one master password you’ll need to remember and so it’s crucial that you make it very strong. You can change this password at a later time, but not unless you know your original master password. Because of this, you may want to store a copy of it in a very safe place such as a firebox or bank vault. These password managers use heavy encryption and is why no one can ever see your stored passwords. If you lose your master password, you would have to sign in to every website you use and re-create an account with a new password and start the whole process over again.

Finally, once you start using a password manager, you should begin to make all the passwords you use more secure. Programs such as LastPass have features that will notify you of duplicate passwords or weak ones that need to be more unique and secure. You can also use your password manager to store and manage other sensitive information, such as credit card numbers.

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