Everyone who reads this post has online access, and likely to live in a world in increasing online complexity. We all have more and more passwords, subscriptions, various online banking and financial dealings, online purchases and so on. To be able to keep track of this log in information (names, passwords, URL’s) can become complex very quickly.
I have used a variety of password managers (I am currently using a number of them…long story), and while they are all useful, some are better than others. IF you have a smartphone, it is more than handy to have the ability to have synced passwords and logins across all of your online devices. Of even greater importance is the ability to create (quickly and easily) strong passwords.
The bottom line is that you don’t ever want to use the same name/password on more than one site…ever. Changing passwords every once in a while is also a simple and worthwhile to maintain control over your finances, and your whole online identity.
I consider this whole topic to be a no-brainer…yet I still run across people who have never heard of these services, let alone the need for them.
If you have read this far, you should have a password manager (LastPass is free!).
Six Great Password Managers
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2381432,00.asp
The number of passwords we modern users must remember isn’t getting any smaller. From social media to shopping sites, Web-based mail to online banking, site after site demands a username and password. Using the same password for all of them is a really, really bad idea, since a single data breach would totally wipe out your online privacy. But remembering dozens and dozens of passwords (over 200 in my case) just isn’t feasible.
That’s where password management tools save the day. Secured by a single ultra-strong password, something you can remember but nobody else would guess, they store your passwords and automatically recall them as needed. The best password managers also function as automated Web form fillers.
Just as you need passwords for many different sites, you probably need to access those passwords from many different locations. What if you’re trying to log in from your work computer, or a loaner? What if you need to connect via iPhone or Android phone? The latest trend in password-management software is mobility. Here’s a look at several current options, both with and without enhanced mobility.
Powerful but Singular
Kaspersky Password Manager 4 ($24.95 direct, 4 stars) automatically captures login credentials as you enter them and offers to fill them in when you revisit the same site. You can use its stored login data as a kind of smart bookmark; a single click navigates to the site and logs you in. Any decent password manager should do this much. Kaspersky does a good job of handling oddball sites that don’t use standard login forms.
Hands down, RoboForm Desktop 7 ($29.95 direct, 4 stars) is the most flexible form-filler of any I’ve seen. It stores more types of data than the rest and stores as many values of each type as you like. It can even fill forms using data about your contacts, for example to enter the address for a gift. Kaspersky also fills forms, but without nearly as much flexibility.
Kaspersky can generate a portable edition on any USB key. You can carry the portable edition with you and use it on other computers, but you can’t sync any changes back to the original installation. IronKey Personal S200 ($79 direct, 4 stars) licenses its password management from the same source as Kaspersky and adds a private browser, so you won’t leave any traces when you use your passwords on a foreign computer.
RoboForm2Go 7 is a portable USB-based version of RoboForm Desktop, but it’s a separate purchase meant to function independently. You simply choose whether you want a desktop-based solution or a portable solution and then purchase one or the other. Of course none of these USB solutions helps if the foreign computer isn’t a PC.
Mobile across Computers
LastPass 1.72 (Free, 5 stars) is a fully functional password manager and form filler that’s intrinsically Web-based, so you can use it from any computer. Your data is encrypted and stored securely online. The company makes it very clear that there is no back door; if you lose your master password they can’t help you recover the data. For full access to all features you need to install a local plug-in, but you can still use it even on a foreign system where you don’t have sufficient privileges.
A RoboForm Everywhere 7 ($19.95 direct, 4.5 stars) license lets you create multiple installations of RoboForm Desktop 7 or RoboForm2Go 7 and synchronize them through the online account. The emphasis is different from LastPass’s fully web-based model, but the effect is similar. However, where the LastPass web site offers full remote access to your information a remote login to RoboForm Everywhere is read-only. Full access to RoboForm data requires installation of the Desktop edition or another local agent.
Fully Mobile
To move into the realm of phones and mobile devices, LastPass users must upgrade to LastPass 1.72 Premium ($12 direct, 5 stars). Both LastPass Premium and RoboForm Everywhere offer apps for all current mobile platforms. However, only the iPhone and Android apps for RoboForm sync automatically with your RoboForm Everywhere account. On other platforms you must manually sync the data or use RoboForm’s separate GoodSync utility.
The top password managers offer a mix of other features that may prove useful. Multi-factor authentication, capture and recall of application passwords, remote password management without a plug-in… these are just a few of the possibilities.
PCMag’s current Editors’ Choice for password management is LastPass (both the free and Premium editions). The free edition offers full-powered password management that will do everything most users need. The Premium edition adds significant features for advanced users; it’s what I use myself. RoboForm Everywhere is a close contender, though. If your real need is Web form filling rather than password management RoboForm is actually a better choice. Check the listings below to decide which solutions interest you and then click through to the full review for more information.
