Use a password manager (and why we insist)

If you use the same password on more than one account — or a simple variation of it — your accounts are at risk. A password manager solves this without asking you to memorise dozens of complicated passwords.

What a password manager does

A password manager is an app that stores all your usernames and passwords in an encrypted vault. You unlock it with one master password — that’s the only one you need to remember. When you visit a login page, it fills in your details automatically.

Popular options include 1Password and Bitwarden, but there are others. Most work across your phone, tablet, and computer, and sync between devices.

Why it matters for your business

One weak or reused password can compromise everything. When a website you use gets breached — and it happens to major services regularly — criminals try stolen passwords on banking sites, email accounts, and social media. If you’ve reused a password, they’ll get in.

Strong, unique passwords for every account is the answer. A password manager generates and remembers them for you, so you don’t have to choose between security and convenience.

The six reasons to make the switch:

1. One password to remember. Your master password unlocks everything else. All the complexity is handled for you.

2. Genuinely strong passwords. A good password manager generates a different random password for every account — long, complex, and impossible to guess. You’ll never see it or need to type it.

3. No more reuse. Because you don’t have to remember passwords, there’s no temptation to use the same one twice.

4. Works on all your devices. Most password managers sync across your phone, tablet, and computer automatically. Log in on any device.

5. Faster logins. The manager fills in your username and password for you. Over the course of a day, that adds up.

6. Safer password sharing. Need to share a login with a staff member? Password managers let you share access to an account without revealing the actual password. They can use it; they can’t see it.

Getting started

1. Choose a password manager and install it on your main device.
2. Create a strong master password you can remember — a passphrase (four or more random words) works well.
3. As you log into sites over the coming days, save each login to the manager.
4. Let it generate new passwords for your most important accounts — email, banking, social media — and update those accounts.

You don’t have to migrate everything at once. Starting with your most important accounts and adding others as you go is perfectly fine.

If you’d like help getting set up or want a recommendation for your situation, get in touch: help@jezweb.net or 1300 024 766.