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Password Managers?

Joe Nardy

Joe Nardy

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Like many people, the list of websites I frequent is constantly growing which means my list of login information is also constantly growing. Besides my own interests, I have power of attorney and take care of all my parents' accounts and also am executor/trustee for a fairly large and complicated estate of a deceased relative which involves a lot of financial accounts. I recently had a possible data breach and decided it would be prudent to reset all my passwords. This entailed about four hours of logging in, responding to two factor authentication notices, changing passwords, logging back in to verify password change, responding to two factor authentication notices again, and documenting changes. I don't want to go through that ordeal again.

So, I decided to look into password managers. I'm reasonably technically proficient but the myriad of options had my head spinning. I'm looking for some guidance into options. Here is my situation:

My wife and I use different devices. I have multiple Windows PCs and an Android phone. My wife uses a MacBook Pro, iPad, and iPhone. I need something that will work across all these devices.

A stated above, I'm reasonably proficient with technology but far from an expert. I am pretty good with Windows, less so with Android. I'm not very good with Apple/iOS but my wife is fairly good with that.

Security is definitely a concern and it looks like most options are secure but I did see some references to one particular product that has had a significant data breach. That being said, ease of installation, setup, and use are equally important to me. I saw some products that have 'as you go' password entry which automatically enters information whenever you log into a website. This seems like a great feature but I'm not sure how well it works with different products.

Cost is always a concern. It seems there are some good free versions that might be good enough for my needs but I'm always leery of free products. This may or may not be an issue. Most products are reasonably priced and I don't have a problem paying for a product if the cost is justified by increased security or functionality.

Please let me know of your experience with password managers and opinions on products and advice in general.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

I apologize in advance if there are already any threads on this topic but with the AK search currently non-functional I wasn't able to do a search here. I tried a Google search for password manager:audiokarma.org but didn't get any relevant returns.
 
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you can use the one within firefox...and it is portable if you use sync across machines, but I ALSO use nortons vault - its free with the 360 package I have
 
Two possibilities straight off the top on my head - Google has a password manager - and it has a Sync service which will allow you to synchronise passwords across multiple devices. It is my understanding that any OS which will support Google will also support their password manager.
Also Norton Security has a password manager, but you would have to buy the Norton product that suits you, this will need to be installed across your multiple OS & devices.

I use Google password manager, mainly because it is free, but also because I started using it before the Norton product was a credible alternative for me. The thing about Google password manager is that you need a Google account - and you must not forget that account password, as I think you need to be logged into your account fully use the password manager.

(I have a Windows 10 PC, and an Android Smartphone - both have Google installed, and all my passwords are available on both platforms, and in fact on any device that I can log onto with my Google account).
 
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I've been using LastPass for quite a while. I originally got it because it allowed me to share passwords with my wife so we could both have access to them for sites we both use. It works across any platform - Windows, Mac, Android, IOS, etc. All that is nice but of course they are probably the one you had in mind when you mentioned the big data breach. I spent quite a while changing lots of passwords too. So I've been looking at other options. Bitwarden is the one that's probably on the top of my list but I haven't actually used it yet.
 
Brian1970 said:
I've been using LastPass for quite a while. I originally got it because it allowed me to share passwords with my wife so we could both have access to them for sites we both use. It works across any platform - Windows, Mac, Android, IOS, etc. All that is nice but of course they are probably the one you had in mind when you mentioned the big data breach. I spent quite a while changing lots of passwords too. So I've been looking at other options. Bitwarden is the one that's probably on the top of my list but I haven't actually used it yet.
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Yes, I think I'll stay away from LastPass because of the data breach. They have probably resolved that issue but the stigma is still there. Bitwarden seems to be high on most 'best of' lists so I'm definitely considering it.

djnagle said:
I use 1Password and am very happy with it.
Click to expand...

1Password is also on my initial short list.

Thanks,
Joe
 
I've been doing more research and did a somewhat objective analysis. I checked quite a few tech sites for ratings and plugged them into a spreadsheet. I tallied the top four ratings for each site and weighted them with 4 points for 1st place, 3 points for 2nd place, 2 points for 3rd place and 1 point for 4th place.

Herea are the top four password managers based on this analysis:

1. Dashlane - 37 points
2. Bitwarden - 34 points
3. 1Password - 31 points
4. Keeper - 16 points

Dashlane is the most expensive but includes a VPN. There is a free version but it is limited to one device.
Bitwarden has a highly functional free version and the pay versions are inexpensive. The free version has no restriction on the number of entries, supports two users, and allows syncing across all devices.
1Password has a 14 day free trial but no free version. It is fairly expensive.
Keeper has a limited free version (1 device limitation) and is fairly expensive.

Based on my needs I think I'm going to try Bitwarden. I can start with the free version and then upgrade to the pay version if I need additional functionality. I'm still pondering the options but for now Bitwarden looks like the best choice for me.

Thanks,
Joe
 
KeePass is pretty nice! You store your encrypted database somewhere like Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox and the KeePass program links up to it remotely. You can use the same database on PC or smart phone ap.
 
RocketFoot said:
KeePass is pretty nice! You store your encrypted database somewhere like Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox and the KeePass program links up to it remotely. You can use the same database on PC or smart phone ap.
Click to expand...

Yes, I like the non-cloud architecture of KeePass but most reviews say the interface is clunky and not very intuitive. Being new to password managers I don't think it would be best for me. Once I have more experience, I might give KeePass a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

Joe
 
AlTinkster92 said:
I keep em written down at home. What if the Passwords manager gets hacked?
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Keep in mind that I'm new to this and am no expert but here's what I've learned about how password managers work. All the data in the password vault is encrypted so if the information is accessed it would need to be cracked to be of any use. The master password used to access the vault is also encrypted so no readily usable information is available on the password manager's server. The encryption used by password managers is VERY strong. Estimated time to brute force crack an AES 256 bit key is longer than the existence of the universe, even if using the most powerful computer on earth. Another function of the password manager is to create unique complex passwords for each site. This eliminates one of the biggest security threats that most users have, using the same passwords (usually not very complex) for multiple sites. If a data breach occurs at a site you access and your username and password are accessed it is easy for hackers to try your login credentials at multiple sites. Many password managers also include health reports which can warn of potential security issues along with data breaches. Here's a description of Bitwarden's health reports:

Bitwarden can generate six reports: Exposed Passwords, Reused Passwords, Weak Passwords, Unsecured Websites, Inactive 2FA, and Data Breach. Exposed passwords are those that have been uncovered in known data breaches. Reused and weak passwords are self-explanatory. Bitwarden treats any linked URLs in your vault that don't use TLS/SSL encryption as unsecured. The Inactive 2FA report identifies sites in your vault that support multi-factor authentication but for which you haven’t linked a TOTP code in Bitwarden. That last report could throw some false positives, however, if you choose to use a different authenticator app.

Again, I'm far from an expert but I am guilty of several poor security practices. A password manager seems to be a much better solution for me. Your results may vary. In your circumstance, what happens if someone accesses your written passwords? All it would take is a couple seconds to snap a pic with a smart phone.

Thanks,
Joe
 
I use Password Gorilla. Windows and Ubuntu friendly. No automatic entry as it is completely standalone, which is a positive, not a negative for me.
 
I don't want anything "remembering" my passwords.

I have a personal PW "algorithm" I've been using for decades that allows me to cycle through several combinations or variations of two (or more) different themes.
This means all my PW can be similar and if I am forced to change them periodically, I can make small changes that comply with the "cant use previous passwords" rule.
It also allows me to "guess" if I have forgotten one, and usually get it right before I get locked out (three attempts), simply by cycling through several progressive (or regressive) iterations.
All I have to do is remember which theme I used with which account.
 
YY1 said:
I don't want anything "remembering" my passwords.

I have a personal PW "algorithm" I've been using for decades that allows me to cycle through several combinations or variations of two (or more) different themes.
This means all my PW can be similar and if I am forced to change them periodically, I can make small changes that comply with the "cant use previous passwords" rule.
It also allows me to "guess" if I have forgotten one, and usually get it right before I get locked out (three attempts), simply by cycling through several progressive (or regressive) iterations.
All I have to do is remember which theme I used with which account.
Click to expand...

I have tried this but the number of passwords I use regularly is too much for my feeble brain to possibly remember.

I installed Bitwarden on a Windows PC and watched several 'How to' videos. There's definitely a learning curve but once I got a handle on it, I must say it's pretty slick. You can enter items in your vault either online or on the Windows application. You can launch websites from either. There's also a browser extension that makes saving and using login credentials much easier. Once you install the browser extension for your given browser, you can enter information manually if you prefer. Whenever you open and log into a new application it will ask if you want to save the login information. If you choose to save the login information, it can generate new passcodes or passwords according to options you select. You can select password or passcode, length of password or number of words in passcode, what characters to use (numbers, letters, special characters, capital letters, etc.). You can then change your password by copying and pasting the generated password. You can configure the browser extension to auto-populate your username and password when you open the application. Once you have populated Bitwarden with entries you can simply click the application in the browser extension, click 'launch', and the application will launch and the username and password fields will be auto-filled. Click 'Log in' and you're done. Since you no longer need to know the passwords, they can be much more complex and unique than anyone could ever possibly remember. Bitwarden can also check usernames and passwords for known security breaches.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is the most highly recommended security step for keeping from having your information compromised. Bitwarden can facilitate 2FA but I haven't gotten that far yet.

I am also skeptical about cloud password management but my research has convinced me that this method is very secure. All information on the cloud is encrypted so even if the data is compromised, it is pretty much useless to the hacker. In the end I will have completely unique and complex passwords for all my logins and will not have to remember any of them. Once I figure out the 2FA, I am convinced I will have vastly better protection against password theft.

Thanks,
Joe
 
I've been using a different password for every login and there are quite a few. I find it good mental exercise. But sometimes I forget. I have the obscure ones written down.

In the last couple of years, Apple devices started reading fingerprints. I logon to Audiokarma with a fingerprint. Now a lot of devices will also do facial recognition. Occasionally they will ask for the actual password to reconfirm. Works for me. I don't like or trust external password generators or the cloud. On a regular basis, I also remove the history, cache and databases files that get downloaded to your computer from websites. It's amazing how much crap is tracking you.

Good luck.
 
So I am very interested in this, and have checked out a few sites inclouding BitWarden, but I'm having a hard time assessing the real world impact on me as a web user.

At this time, most of the sites don't give a lot of specific information to read on "How To" use the software.
 
Yamaki said:
So I am very interested in this, and have checked out a few sites inclouding BitWarden, but I'm having a hard time assessing the real world impact on me as a web user.

At this time, most of the sites don't give a lot of specific information to read on "How To" use the software.
Click to expand...

There are quite a few 'How-to' videos on YouTube for Bitwarden by third parties but they have a lot of their own that start out with the basics and progress to more complicated functions. I watched less than an hour of their videos and was confident enough to dig in. I went back and referenced the videos a couple times for clarification of functionality.

Joe
 
Joe Nardy said:
There are quite a few 'How-to' videos on YouTube for Bitwarden by third parties but they have a lot of their own that start out with the basics and progress to more complicated functions. I watched less than an hour of their videos and was confident enough to dig in. I went back and referenced the videos a couple times for clarification of functionality.

Joe
Click to expand...

Thanks, Joe.

I'll do a bit more digging.
 
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