We constantly use passwords to open email, social networks, a page where we make a purchase… This makes remembering all of them difficult. Also, keep in mind that the ideal is to have a unique key for each case. That’s where they come into play password managers, which allow us to store them safely and free us from having to remember them all. Now, can we do something to make them even more protected? There is a factor to take into account and that sometimes we overlook.
The key manager master password is essential
There are many password managers, such as LastPass, 1Password or KeePass, to name a few. They all work in a similar way, although there is an important difference in some cases: you can store the keys locally, on your computer, or in the cloud, which is basically on servers of that service.
Whichever option you choose, you are going to have to use a master password to enter. It is the key that will allow access to all the others that you have stored. It is very important as hackers aim to steal it. In fact, we have seen on occasion that there have been vulnerabilities in some services of this type and the master passwords have been exposed.
So how do you manage passwords securely? we are going to give you some advices that you can implement quickly and easily if you use key managers, such as KeePass, which stores them on your own computer:
- Change your master password from time to time
- Put a key as long and random as possible
Simply that is going to make your passwords are more protected. It is a major mistake to use a weak master key. The important thing is that it is long, that it has letters (both upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols. Always try to change it once in a while to make brute force attacks more difficult.
Reviewing everything is essential
Have a constant review of password managers It’s fundamental. Ultimately we are relying on an external service to store all our keys. That means that we must make sure that it works correctly and does not have any problem that affects us.
A clear example is to check that it is updated. Sometimes vulnerabilities and small bugs may arise that should be corrected. It is the programs themselves that launch updates and it is important that we always install them. This is something you should apply to any app you use.
You should also make sure that your team is properly protected and there is no type of malware that could affect it. For example a keylogger could record the keys you put. Always install a good antivirus, keep the system updated and do not make mistakes that could negatively affect you. You can learn how to properly use KeePass and protect your keys.
In short, as you see using a password manager It’s a good idea to protect your keys. However, it is important that you update your master password from time to time and use one that really protects you. Small changes can significantly increase security.
