You use a password manager, but are you taking full advantage of it? I’m going to share 6 things
you should be doing with your password manager to help you build even greater privacy and security.
This video is sponsored by Trend Micro. More on them in a moment. Let’s jump into
these 6 important password manager tips most people ignore, including the last
one which is a critical step most people miss! For some people, the idea of storing all of your
online logins in one place, behind a single master password, is frightening. I get it! Is it really
secure to put all your eggs in one basket? To anybody who’s had this concern I have a
simple solution for you that I think you’re going to like. I call it the
double blind password, but it’s sometimes called “password salting” or “peppering”.
It works like this: let’s say my password manager provides a strong,
unique password for my bank login. This is what gets stored in the password manager,
but what gets set with the bank is actually this password plus some additional word, phrase
or number that you come up with. Now, when I want to log in on the bank website, I have my password
manager autofill the password it has stored and then I type in the additional characters.
This removes the risk of keeping all your logins in one place because your password
manager doesn’t actually store your full password. I don’t do this for all my logins,
but it’s a great strategy to use for those logins that you want to keep most secure.
Using email aliases with a password manager is a game-changer!
If you’re like most people, you probably use the same email or username for most online
logins. For the longest time that’s what I did because I didn’t know any better. But creating
unique aliases for your logins does two things. First, it makes your online security that much
stronger because a hacker doesn’t just have to guess one part of your login,
the password, they now have to guess both. Second, if that particular company experiences
a data breach or they sell your email for marketing purposes, you’re not at
risk because you can easily deactivate that alias. I’ve already done a video on email aliases, so if
you want to learn how to do it, watch that next. Is your password manager protected by 2 factor
authentication? I’m not talking about storing your 2FA codes for your logins,
I’m talking about what’s required for you to log in to use the password manager itself.
This feature isn’t available with every password manager, but if it is, I recommend you use it. I
have an authenticator code and two security keys that I use with my password manager,
which means that anytime a new device tries to access my password vaults, not only will I
need to enter my login credentials, I’ll also be asked for this second set of verification.
As with any kind of login, if you can use 2FA for added security,
you should. Your password manager is no different. And if you really want to level up to maximum
security for you and your family, you should check out this week’s sponsor, Trend Micro.
Their Premium Security Suite includes protection not just for your PC, mac and mobile device,
it also comes with WiFi protection, dark web monitoring, and yes, even a password manager
if you’re not already using one. I’ve used this to scan my devices
and take proactive measures to block malicious websites, apps and protect against all kinds of
ransomware attacks. The best part is that it’s really easy to download and use, and it works
seamlessly in the background of any device. Learn more about their Premium Security Suite
using the link in the description, and use code ATS10 for 10% off your purchase!
You know those security questions that you’re sometimes required to answer? Usually it’s
something like “What is your mother’s maiden name”, “what was the name of your first pet”
or “what street did you grow up on”. There’s a big problem with these kinds
of questions that I’m sure you know: the answers are usually not that hard
to find out! All it takes is a little bit of sleuthing on social media or publicly
available records to find out this information. Thankfully, a password manager can solve this
problem. Next time you get asked to provide answers to these questions,
just make up random answers. What is your mother’s maiden name? Bumfuzzle. What was the
model for your first car? I don’t know. Bob Dylan. Store these random answers in the notes section of
the password login so that you can easily find it when needed. And sure, you could just use the
same wrong answers for the same questions, but it’s just as easy to make up new ones for each
login that requires it. Completely up to you. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,
right? And unfortunately, when it comes to online security, that weakest link is usually a family
member. I’m glad you have a strong password for your bank login, but if your spouse has their
own login to the same account with a password that isn’t nearly as strong, guess what? Your
security isn’t as good as you might think. Getting your family invested in your overall
security is not an easy task, I know. But the best place to start is to share a password
manager vault where strong passwords are stored. Start by helping them download and install a
password manager on their computer or mobile device, that’s step one. Then start storing
the passwords that your family shares in that vault, things like your streaming video passwords,
your Amazon password, etc. You want to create strong reasons for them to use the password
manager without having to force them to do so. Because we all know how well that works.
Finally, help them create a stronger password for a set of key logins that
you would like to lock down. Step by step, building up your online security.
Last but not least - and this is a critical step that I’m surprised most people don’t
do - you need to download, print or store your emergency access file!
Think about this: if something were to suddenly happen to you,
how easy would it be for your family members or the executor of your estate to access your
accounts? Maybe you don’t want them to have access right now, but in the case of an emergency, there
needs to be some way for them to gain access. That’s where an emergency access file comes
in handy. For some password managers, this is a file that you can download,
print and keep with your will. For other managers it’s a secret key or a key phrase. Whatever it is,
it’s worth having a printed copy kept in a safe or again, along with your final will.
Thanks again to Trend Micro for sponsoring this video. Learn more about their Premium Security
Suite in the link below this video. And if you’ve heard all this stuff about how we’re moving away
from passwords to a new standard called a passkey, watch this video next to learn more.