So, you’re looking for a new password manager for your business or personal use? You’re in luck—we know exactly what features a good password manager should have. You don’t want to settle for just any password manager, otherwise, you might as well just use the built-in manager in your browser (please don’t). Browser password managers are notoriously lacking in the security department, and you don’t want to leave your passwords to chance.
Today’s password management software is secure, easy to use, and flexible enough to work for both business and personal use. Let’s jump into some of the features you should be looking for in a password management service!
End-To-End Encryption.
First and foremost, your passwords need to be secure. Otherwise, what’s the point of using a password manager to begin with? End-to-end encryption is a standard feature with password apps like Keeper, but not every password manager will provide the same level of security.
Password security is a serious problem outside of password managers. Most users end up recycling passwords across multiple accounts (that’s a big mistake, in case you’re wondering), or include personal or company information in their passwords. It’s not enough to have your passwords encrypted—you also need to have good passwords!
Secure Password Generator.
After so many accounts, apps, and softwares, you’re likely burnt-out on coming up with passwords. This is why so many people turn to using familiar phrases, numbers, names, etc., in their passwords. It’s far easier to remember a password that contains your name or birthday than one you randomly put together. Not to mention, maybe you’re unsure of whether your random scrambled password is even any good. How do you check it?
Most password managers have a great feature (or should) called a secure password generator. With this tool, you can generate a unique, secure password with any number of characters you like. You can also customize which characters are included, so you can create an exclusively numerical or alphabetical password or a combination of both.
The best passwords are a combination of upper and lower case letters, symbols, and numbers. You shouldn’t use any common phrases or personal details in your passwords. Even if they’re easier to remember, they’re also easier to hack. Remember that your passwords will be stored safely in your password vault, and if your password manager has an autofill feature, you won’t even have to type them out.
AutoFill Feature.
The autofill feature is more about convenience than anything else, but it’s still a great feature to have. You’ll never remember every password you create, especially if you’re using the password generator feature. It’s nice to simply click a button and have forms filled automatically, so you don’t have to log in to your password manager and manually copy and paste.
Customer Support Team.
A password manager is only as good as its support team, and a business that cares about its products and reputations will provide its customers with support. You might find that you run into login issues, billing problems, or some other concern that prevents you from using your software. Who do you turn to if there’s no support team?
Many password management services offer 24/7 support, so your problem will be addressed at any time of the day.
Multi-Factor Authentication.
MFA is one of the best tools available at your disposal for adding an extra layer of security to your login credentials. A good password manager will support MFA, whether it’s via email, phone, or even biometrics. Biometrics aren’t widely used quite yet, but the future of such authentication methods looks bright. After all, passwords can only get so secure—whereas a fingerprint or iris scan is totally unique to a person.
Secure Password Sharing.
For businesses large and small, password sharing capabilities are pretty much a necessity. When it comes to collaboration, you want everyone to be able to share the login credentials for software and shared drives without risking the security of the company. With a password manager, you’ll get team sharing folders where passwords can be shared in a secure environment.
Role-Based Permissions.
Of course, even if you’re sharing among team members, not everyone should have access to certain logins. Sensitive data is often only trusted to a few members of the business, and with role-based permissions, you can monitor and control who has access to which passwords based on their role in the company.
Conclusion.
With so many password managers floating around today, it’s important to separate the good from the great. Apps like Keeper are among the forefront of the industry, providing high-end security, excellent customer service, and plenty of features to make a subscription worth every penny. Don’t trust your passwords to Word documents, sticky notes, or even memory. A password manager takes the hassle out of passwords and secures them for you, so you can get back to running your business.
