Store your vital passwords securely
Credit: https://getswifty.pro
Everybody needs to look after their passwords. The problem is how do you set up a system where each separate account you own is protected by a strong – and unique – password (see the box, opposite) that you can enter easily on demand?
You could, of course, write down your passwords in a notebook, relying on an online password generator such as the Secure Password Generator (https://passwordsgenerator.net) to generate those passwords as and when they’re required.
The problem is, that notebook will need storing somewhere secure, and flicking through it looking for passwords to type in quickly becomes laborious. The solution is to look for an automated solution that you can access from your PC.
This is where the humble password manager comes in. These store all your passwords inside an encrypted database commonly known as your ‘vault’. The database is protected by a single master password, which you use to unlock the vault and access its contents.
Password managers come in all shapes and sizes. At one end of the scale is a cloud-based tool such as LastPass or Bitwarden with all the convenience they offer: tools for every platform and browser, built-in password generators, autofill capabilities and more. The downside? Your password vault is stored online on third-party servers – do you trust them?
One solution is to set up your own self-hosted password manager using , but if you’d rather your passwords weren’t stored online, and you’re happy to limit their a go?
