For the 2025 Specops Weak Password Report, researchers analyzed round 1.089 billion stolen passwords and located that probably the most generally breached passwords consisted of eight characters.
Alarmingly, out of the one billion compromised passwords, virtually 230 million could be thought-about complicated. This implies that they had a minimal of eight characters, a capital letter, a quantity, and a particular character.
This exhibits how superior hacking strategies have change into in recent times, reinforcing the necessity for a safe and dependable password administration service.
Password managers are designed to get rid of weak passwords and make it a lot tougher for attackers to compromise credentials. On this article, we talk about 5 explanation why it’s best to use a password supervisor.
What’s a password supervisor?
A password supervisor is software program that shops passwords, usernames, and different login info in an encrypted vault. They are often hosted on the cloud or on-prem and may cater to each particular person customers and organizations alike.
Examples of password supervisor suppliers embody Bitwarden, 1Password, Keeper, Dashlane, LastPass, and NordPass. For a extra detailed information, try our full Password Supervisor Cheat Sheet that dives into password managers in-depth.
Whereas this all sounds neat and nifty, it’s possible you’ll be asking, “Why not simply use the trusty pen and paper?” to retailer all of your passwords.
Nicely, listed here are 5 explanation why a password supervisor is unquestionably value contemplating.
5 explanation why you want a password supervisor
1. Your passwords are too easy
That is the most important cause, bar none. If you happen to’re utilizing passwords you can simply keep in mind (corresponding to password, password123, happyhappyjoyjoy, and many others.), you’re in danger. Why? Easy passwords are simpler to crack. With the best instruments (and sufficient horsepower), a hacker can crack these easy passwords in seconds or minutes. Due to this, you need to guarantee that the passwords you utilize are onerous (if not not possible) to recollect.
A superb rule of thumb is that in case you can simply keep in mind a password, it’s in all probability straightforward to crack. The tougher that password is to recollect, the tougher it’s to crack. So whenever you use such tough passwords, you want a vault to deal with them. That’s the place a password supervisor comes into play.
2. Password managers embody random password mills
Talking of sophisticated passwords, you shouldn’t attempt to provide you with sophisticated passwords by yourself, otherwise you’ll wind up with variations in your typical theme. As a substitute, you want a password supervisor that features a random password generator to create very sophisticated passwords. Most password managers, corresponding to Bitwarden, assist you to configure how sophisticated the password is. With these instruments, you may generate passwords which might be 20 random characters lengthy and even unpronounceable, random phrases. Make use of those instruments, and your passwords will probably be very sophisticated and, subsequently, robust.
3. You solely want to recollect one password
With a password supervisor, you solely want to recollect one password — the one used to realize entry to your saved passwords. That is referred to as the Grasp Password.
With this in place, you don’t have to fret about remembering all these new and extremely complicated passwords generated by the supervisor. Open the managing instrument, sort your Grasp Password and find the password you want. The one caveat to that is to verify your vault password isn’t easy. It doesn’t must be overly complicated, simply not apparent.
4. The numbers are in opposition to you
What number of accounts do you have got which require a password? Tens? Lots of? The extra accounts you have got, the extra probably it’s that the numbers are in opposition to you. Due to this, you in all probability use the identical password for every thing, which is a HUGE no no. You have to use totally different passwords for each account. With that many alternative passwords, how are you going to recollect them? You’re not (particularly if these passwords are sophisticated). That’s one other huge cause to make use of a password supervisor.
That’s one other huge cause to make use of a password supervisor, as these instruments are designed to retailer a whole bunch of passwords and logins with ease. Keep in mind cause 3? Just one password requires remembering!
5. Passwords will at all times be on the prepared with machine syncing
Some password managers assist you to sync your password database throughout your entire gadgets. With this function, you may entry your passwords in your desktop, your laptop computer, and your cellular gadgets. This fashion, you at all times have your passwords at hand. If you happen to choose to make use of this function, be sure you have your password database encrypted with a powerful password. The very last thing you want is for a nasty actor to intercept your database and crack it through brute drive.
Bonus cause: It’s the clever factor to do
Sure, utilizing a password supervisor does add a step or two to the log-in course of. However when your information and safety are in danger, these additional steps are value it. With every passing day you proceed relying on these easy passwords, you run the danger of information theft. Be clever and use a password supervisor … earlier than it’s too late.
If you happen to’re curious to study extra about password managers, I extremely suggest testing our Password Managers 101 video function on the official TechRepublic YouTube channel.
In that video, we dive into how password managers work, who they’re for, and what concrete advantages they supply companies and people.
SEE: IT Chief’s Information to Cybersecurity Consciousness Coaching (TechRepublic Premium)
Selecting a password supervisor for your small business
Password managers present robust, random passwords which might be totally different for each web site or service. Not like eight-character passwords that may be cracked through brute drive briefly order, these passwords are unguessable by any identified expertise. However as latest hacks of password managers made clear, the expertise isn’t infallible. Listed below are a couple of tips that could information the choice on which suppliers to favor:
Respected vendor
Don’t use a startup based mostly in areas the place there could also be a scarcity of policing of on-line conduct. Search for distributors frequently featured in analyst experiences from the likes of Gartner, IDC, and different well-known analyst corporations.
Cloud versus on-premise
Instruments that retailer passwords within the cloud are extra prone to assault. Favor those who retailer them domestically in your machine, particularly if your small business is primarily onsite.
Then again, cloud-based password managers can work higher for hybrid workforces, because it makes credentials simply accessible to distant staff as nicely. I counsel taking a look at which system works greatest in your specific enterprise.
Security measures
Some password managers have higher safety safeguards than others. These utilizing a device-based password supervisor, for instance, ought to guarantee it might routinely lock after a really brief time of inactivity. Moreover, select instruments the place multifactor authentication, corresponding to receiving a textual content to your cellphone, is required to unlock the password supervisor. In any other case, a keylogger might simply be utilized by a hacker to compromise the machine. And demand encryption of saved passwords, logon names, URLs, and different delicate information from a potential vendor.
Patch hygiene
Like every software program or system, password managers comprise bugs, and software program vulnerabilities are generally found. These bugs and vulnerabilities may be exploited by attackers to realize entry, generally even once they’re locked. Some distributors present patches and go away it as much as the group to put in them. Others deploy them routinely so that they’re at all times updated. Verify into the patch hygiene practices of vendor candidates to see who demonstrates probably the most accountable perspective towards the patching of password managers. Equally, remember that password managers make use of browser extensions and interface with different programs. Confirm that your vendor of selection additionally pays consideration to patching these.
Price
Some password managers are less expensive than others. However sometimes, the low-cost merchandise lack most of the enterprise and security measures wanted by many organizations. Costs sometimes vary from $2 to $5 per 30 days per person. Bigger organizations can reap the benefits of extra reductions for quantity purchases.
Beneficial password managers
NordPass
If the identify is acquainted, it’s as a result of NordPass comes from the creators of the favored NordVPN service. NordPass is greatest for customers trying to have an all-around password administration system. It has robust safety, an intuitive desktop and cellular software, and user-friendly pricing. It additionally makes use of the future-proof, XChaCha20 encryption algorithm to make person vaults unreadable.
Learn our full NordPass evaluate right here.
Dashlane
Dashlane could also be higher for these with extra demanding safety necessities. It comes with darkish net scanning, a built-in digital non-public community, and synching between gadgets. Dashlane’s desktop UI is clear and simple to know, for learners and consultants alike. So far, it additionally hasn’t been concerned in any kind of information breach or hack.
Learn our full Dashlane evaluate right here.
LogMeOnce
LogMeOnce is perhaps greatest for these enterprises that function over a variety of platforms, machine varieties, and programs on account of its wide-ranging, cross-platform help. It’s extremely customizable however some customers report that it has sophisticated setup procedures. Within the service, LogMeOnce has a devoted password sharing heart, which I see might be helpful for groups that frequently share passwords amongst one another.
Learn our full LogMeOnce evaluate right here.
This text was initially revealed in June 2024. It was up to date by Luis Millares in March 2025.
