Password Managers

Password ManagersPassword ManagersMost people in this day and age store their passwords on Google. You may think you're just saving it on Chrome, but it's stored on Google's servers and they're holding the encryption keys. This is obviously a problem.The solution to the problem is a password manager. If you need cloud syncing, go with Bitwarden, 1Password, or (my personal preference) Proton Pass. If you don't trust the cloud at all, go with KeePass. All password managers run basically the same.If you're going with KeePass, here are the versions I recommend:

KeePassXC (Linux)

KeePass2.XX (Windows)

KeePassDX (Android)

KeePassium (iPhone/iPad)

The basics of password managers work universally no matter what they are. The steps to generate a fresh password:

Name of account host

Username

Password. There is a toggle next to this field called "Password generator"

Account URL

Notes (such as recovery codes)

When you make your password, look at the requirements on the account you're making it for. For example:

12-36 characters

At least 1 upper-case letter

At least 1 lower-case letter

At least 1 number

At least 1 special character including ()!@$%^&,./;:'"

With those in mind, you put the character account at 36 characters and hit the toggles for upper-case, lower-case, numbers, and specific special characters. Your password manager will generate some random password for you that will fulfill the requirements. Your password should look like this:

h!VJy4J'9at1n2h%fMWg9hF'e'eviR&m@q"3

And now you only have to remember a couple passwords, including your database password. Let the password manager do the work for you and you won't have to worry about multiple accounts getting breached from a credenttial stuffing attack.Proton Pass is also good if you have a paid subscription so you can create multiple email aliases, preventing sites like Facebook (and other Meta malware) from creating a shadow profile on you.Here's how to make sure your password manager is doing its job, no matter what operating system you're using?

Windows/Linux (KeePass): Right-click on the entry and click on "Copy URL/user name/password," whichever one is applicable

Windows/Linux (cloud-based password managers): Your password manager should have an extension available for whatever browser you're using.

Android (KeePassDX): Open KeePassDX, click on the URL bar of your browser, switch your default keyboard using the toggle at the bottom of the screen, and when the keyboard shows up select the "key" icon and look for the account. When you find it, the "globe" will be the URL, the silhouette will be your user name, and the three asterisks will be your password. When you're done, select another text field and press the "keyboard" icon on your KeePassDX "keyboard" and it'll switch back to your default keyboard.

Android (cloud-based password managers): Just change the default password manager in Settings/Passwords & Accounts

iPhone/iPad: Switch your default password manager to your preferred one in the main Settings app on your iOS device. If prompted, unlock it before selecting the account you're signing in to

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