Manage Access Data and Protect Sensitive Data with the Password Manager

Today, virtually everyone has dozens of accounts for various services, social networks, email inboxes, and other websites. Each of these requires its own password. Many people quickly lose track and resort to questionable methods. The Post-it note under the desk may be a cliche, but it is surprisingly common. The good news: this is entirely unnecessary. With a password manager, you can securely store and manage all your passwords in one place. In this article, we explain how it works and what you should keep in mind.

What Is a Password Manager?

A password manager is essentially a database where all your passwords are stored centrally. This database is itself protected by a password -- the so-called master password. That way, you only need to remember a single password to access all your accounts. Most password managers also offer additional features, such as automatically filling in login credentials in your browser, making everyday use much more convenient. Malwarebytes has compiled helpful background information on password managers.

Manage Passwords Securely in Your Organization

Secure password management is particularly important for organizations. By rolling out a password manager company-wide, businesses can address insecure employee habits while also centralizing control over access permissions.

One of the most popular tools for enterprise password management is Roboform. With Roboform, you create accounts for each employee, assign roles and permissions, and selectively share passwords with specific groups. Roboform also runs on all platforms and devices, making it suitable for cross-departmental use in any organization. Geekflare offers a useful comparison of enterprise password managers.

Password Managers Also Recommended for Everyday Use

A password manager is equally useful in your personal life. As digitalization continues, login credentials keep piling up: Netflix, Spotify, various online shops, banking -- you can easily end up with 10 to 20 passwords.

Roboform is also available for home users, but most people do not need its full range of features. A more streamlined alternative like Dashlane is often the better choice. Dashlane is free for personal use and emphasizes simple, intuitive operation. After a brief adjustment period, the password manager becomes a seamless part of your daily routine. Another well-established alternative is KeePass, a veteran among password managers whose first version was released back in 2003. KeePass is open source, meaning its source code is publicly available for anyone to review. Security vulnerabilities are quickly addressed by an active community. However, when it comes to user-friendliness, KeePass can no longer keep up with modern competitors like Dashlane.

Tips for a Secure Master Password

A password manager makes handling many passwords convenient and secure -- at least compared to writing them down. However, you still need to come up with and remember one good password. This master password should be as strong as possible. Names, common words, and dates of birth are off limits!

Length alone hardly matters either. Simply stringing together real words or number sequences does not make a password substantially harder to crack. The most secure passwords are random, unreadable combinations of different characters.

"Wfbi,diwb!" is a much more secure password than "hundkatzemaustiger".

The reason is that the second variant consists of words found in any dictionary. The first password cannot be cracked through this type of guessing. Only with passwords like the first one does length become a relevant factor.

But how do you remember such a complicated password? A proven approach is to derive it from a memorable reference. The password in this example consists of the first letters and punctuation of the opening sentence in "The Sorrows of Young Werther" by J.W. Goethe: "Wie froh bin ich, dass ich weg bin!" (German for "How glad I am that I am gone!").

For more information on password strength, take a look at our dedicated blog post on this topic.

Conclusion: Never Forget Passwords Again with a Password Manager

A password manager dramatically simplifies credential management, so you only need to remember one password instead of many. This is advisable in both your professional and personal life to make things as difficult as possible for potential attackers. However, the security of any password manager ultimately depends on the master password. In the end, there is no getting around choosing a strong one.