There are a lot of password managers and tools out there these days. How can you settle on just one? How do you know which ones are wastes of money and which ones are worthwhile? What does the best password tool offer?
For starters, one thing to look for is a program that will do more than just store passwords. The ideal tool will save ALL of your confidential login information, as well as private documents. An automatic form filler is useful as well as it saves a lot of time, and prevents hackers with key-logging tools from trying to spy and steal from you.
Another feature to look for is how the tool is encrypted. The BEST tool is one that offers multiple levels of encryption, starting with AES-256 bit encryption technology. There should be multiple techniques in place to protect your data whether you’re at home or traveling. Next, there must be a “Master Password”, which ideally will be more than the password you use to unlock your virtual “vault”, but also a password that plays a key role in encryption.
A security key is essential as well. This feature of the best password tool is a unique 128-bit identifier. Since it is generated locally, only you will have it.
Next, look for a password manager that offers seamless syncing across all of your computers and devices. No matter which device you use to connect to the internet, you should be able to have access to all of your data, which appears instantly on your devices.
Technical Issues in the Best Password Tool
There should never be any technical issues with the program you use. Look for a security tool that has a community of researchers who stay on top of everything to ensure that any bugs are identified and dealt with so that the program can run smoothly for all users.
Check into the password generation method. The best password tool will use a “recipe” of sorts for creating passwords: randomness, cryptographically secure number generation, and uniformity in order to auto-generate a unique password just for you.
If you want to share some of the password information with relatives in the event that something happens to you and there is a family emergency, you should be given the option to select certain accounts to give others access to, and which ones you’ll always want to keep 100% secret.
One program in particular that consistently scores high in tests and is ranked #1 in many lists of “the best password tool” is 1PassWord. It offers a variety of subscription options for individual users, families, team accounts, and business accounts. 1Password discounts are sometimes available as well.