Protecting your passwords as a business owner

With most of the US on the go and working remote in different cities, the old school method of writing down your passwords doesn’t cut it anymore. Pair that with the the headache of resetting your passwords every time you want to log in, adds on to time wasted you could be spending working on your business. And don’t get me started the influx of companies that charge monthly subscription fees, which increases the amount of passwords you need to remember.

So how are people keeping track of all of these passwords? They’re using a password manager so that they can keep all of their passwords in one place.

What is a password manager?

Password managers are digital programs that keep all your passwords in an encrypted vault on your computer locally or in the cloud. Instead of memorizing dozens of different passwords, you can keep all your passwords in the password manager. Then, you can use the password manager to auto-fill the account you want to login to. 

Does my business need a password manager?

Whether your a big business or a small business, being able to access all of your passwords in one place, wherever you are, is a huge saving grace when you’re on the go. Once you’re at a level that you’re starting to hire VA’s, a passwords manager allows you to streamline that type of protected sharing, while also making it easier to ‘off-board’ those VA’s when your contract with them expires.

What are the pros and cons of a password manager?

1. Complex Password Generation

Password managers can create complex passwords for each of your accounts automatically. 

Since you don’t need to remember any passwords but your master password, you can utilize the password creation feature to generate incredibly unique passwords. 

Easy to access accounts

Password managers make it exceptionally easy to access all your accounts. 

Instead, you can use your password manager to autofill the login form of any account you want to access. Therefore, you can access any account within your password manager quickly and conveniently. 

3. Access passwords across multiple devices

You can use your password manager and access all your accounts on your desktop, laptop, smartphone, and tablet. 

Even if you change a password on one device, they will auto-update it onto every device. This makes it hassle-free to swap between devices. 

What are 4 ways to protect your password?

If you’re not using a password manager, chances are that you’re using a similar password for every log in. This increases your chance of phishing and cybersecurity attacks. If you’re going to not use a password manager, keep these things in mind:

1. Keep your passwords unique
2. Avoid common passwords
3. Keep written passwords secure
4. Be careful with password length

Which password manager should I use?

A password manager I have gravitated to is 1Password. When comparing 1Password to other password managers, 1Pass is the only one with Additional keyword protection using a secret key, as well as secure travel mode.

If you’re working with a contractor, you can also create a ‘vault’ to give that contractor access to specific passwords – and then you easily know which ones to change when the contract time ends.

How will you protect your passwords going forward?