First of all, let me confess the truth – I'm pretty sure that you use the same password on all of your accounts. On Netflix and TikTok, on your emails and bank accounts. You might have a genius idea that your password is the name of your pet dog with your date of birth at the end of the password. But, believe me, you are asking for trouble here, since hackers really love such an approach. Imagine that you use the same key for all your doors – for your apartment, car, and office. In case if anybody finds this key in the hallway, he will get access to your life in whatever way he wants. It is high time to stop being so lazy and think about the future. And you won't spend any money on this.
What will happen if your password is stolen? Someone hacks the website where you created an account three years ago and made only one post there. Now, you are aware that your email and password are publicly available on the dark web. Because of such a silly trick as one password everywhere, hackers will perform some scripts and gain access to your Instagram, Discord and Steam. And then they will change the recovery email and ban you from your accounts forever. I will not lie to you, such a thing happens every day to thousands of people. Such a phenomenon is called "credential stuffing". People simply are not willing to change their habits and now they are paying the price for this.
What should you do in such a case? First of all, you need to have a password manager. It is like your digital vault where you keep all your keys. You only have to remember your master password, and the password manager will create gibberish for every other password. "Fluffy2010" will become "x7#kP9$mL2@q" or something like that. This tool will securely store all these strings so that you will not have to remember them. You will just copy-paste them when needed. At first glance, it sounds complicated, but this process is actually more convenient than memorizing your lunch menu.
The question is why do you have to pay for that? Well, there are many great free and open-source password managers. I am talking about such tools as Bitwarden that is completely free to use for personal purposes. It will be installed on all of your devices. The other great tool is KeePassXC that stores the file of your passwords only on your computer. This is nice in case if you do not trust the cloud. Both of these tools are legitimate and popular among security professionals.
First of all, I will talk about Bitwarden, as it is the simplest one for beginners. You have to visit their website and create an account there. You will create one very strong master password, preferable long phrase like "MyFavoriteTeacherIsMrSmith". It is easy to type, but hard to guess. After you log in, you install the browser extension to Chrome or Firefox. From now on, every time when you create a new account on any website, Bitwarden will pop up. It will ask you whether you want to save the login details, and you will confirm that with one click. Now, every time you visit this website again, it will fill the login details for you. It is magic, but just math, actually.
To setup KeePassXC, you will have to download its application to Windows or Mac. You will create a database file that is like a locked box for your secrets. You will store this file on your USB drive or some safe place. You will manually add all your entries, typing the website address, your username and password. It has built-in password generator that allows you to define the length and complexity of your password. The drawback is that it is not synced with the cloud by default. You have to transfer this file by yourself. The advantage is that nobody will have access to your data. It is completely local.
"But wait", you say, "what if I forget my master password?" It is bad news for you. There is no "Forgot password" option for the local vault. The encryption is so strong that even the developers can't help you in this situation. You will have to write your master password down on a piece of paper. You will hide this paper at your home in some drawer. Do not tape it to your screen and do not save it as a txt file on your computer. Consider this piece of paper as your winning lottery ticket. It is the only way to recover access to your digital treasure in case when you lost your access.
About your mobile phones. You need to have this tool installed on your iPhone or Android. The Bitwarden application allows you to log in to your websites with the help of FaceID or your fingerprint. When you tap the button, it logs you into your applications. It integrates with the keyboard and fills the passwords wherever you need them. If you are using KeePass, then you can use the KeePassDX application for Android and Strongbox for iOS. These applications will read your database file. It will take some additional effort to transfer this file to your phone, but after that, you will use them quite easily. You will not have to type anything on this terrible touchscreen of your phone anymore.
Think about your gaming accounts. Perhaps you bought some skins or games for money. In case if you lose your Steam or Epic Games accounts, you will lose your investment in them. Hackers target gamers, because they know about value in it. You can use the password manager, and your Steam password will become completely random. Even if you type it on a phishing website, you can quickly change this password. You will not have to remember this new password, because you can rely on the password manager to do this work for you.
Some people do not want to use the password manager because it sounds dangerous to put all passwords in one place. You put all your eggs in one basket, isn't it? The thing is that the password manager uses AES-256 encryption. It is a military-level security, and it will take billions of years to crack this encryption by making guesses of the passwords. The weakest point is a human. In case if you use a strong master password and have two-factor authentication, you are completely safe. Two-factor means that every time you will have to provide a code from your phone for logging in. It is safer than to use "password123" as your email password.
I understand that to change your habits is difficult. I understand that you are overloaded with studies, trainings, and maintenance of your Snap streak. But thirty minutes of your life can completely protect your digital identity for the rest of your life. Start small. Download Bitwarden today. Change passwords to your top three most valuable websites. It may be your email, bank, and your main social media. Let the password manager to generate the new password for you. Do not try to be clever and create them by yourself. Let the computer do the job. It is better at creating chaos than you are.
Once you get used to it, you will realize how difficult it was to live without it before. You will feel relief when you do not have a moment of panic when you do not remember your password. You will not need to press the "Forgot password" link and wait for never arriving email. You will just press the button and gain access to your website. It is efficient and safe, but it will give you a feeling of being a hacker wizard among your friends. Stop reusing your passwords, be smarter than the bots. Download the free password manager right now. Future you will thank you for it.
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