Password manager apps

wheelz

For Android phone (added).

Hi, I've been using Keeper for 2 years. This year they have changed the plans and you can get unlimited devices for £20.99 or a free version.I had a single device plan before this with support, back up in the cloud etc. (not free but lower price) There is very little information about the free plan but it doesn't seem to do what the previous plan used to. Can you recommend a good and reasonably priced password manager (for storing your passwords)?

flashg67

Lastpass has been my choice for a long time. I think you need to pay $12 per year for premium which allows sync over multiple devices though

Frozen_up_north

I use 1Password on an iPhone SE, which has a fingerprint reader in the home button. You can configure 1Password with a long and complicated password as subsequently you only need the fingerprint to use it (even after iOS updates). You can configure it to use cloud storage, or not, depending on how paranoid you are about encryption security and the cloud.

It is very easy to use, especially to log onto sites such as this one.

I think there is a free app, although I purchased the pro version. The link below suggests a monthly fee, I paid a one off cost for the iPhone app, it's definitely not a recurring charge as I don't have a credit card linked to the App Store on a permanent basis.

https://1password.com

wheelz

Does anyone use Dashlane? Has come out of a UK review as an Editor's choise and is free.

http://uk.pcmag.com/password-managers-products/4296/guide/the-best-password-managers-of-2016

datlex

Did anyone see the Gadget show a couple of weeks back where they looked at password security. One tip the former hacker had was to use the pound sign in our passwords where possible. Most keyboards don't have the pound key making it more challenging for non UK hackers to gain access to our information.

Anthorn

I used to have True Key from Intel Security on iOS, Windows 10 and my grandson's Android phone. But the main problem was that it failed on two-step authentication. For example when I log into the Pockit website I enter username/email address and password and then on the next screen I answer a security question. True Key would then ask to replace the first screen password with the second screen security question answer and if I deny that the whole login is removed.

I've found that LastPass is better and doesn't fail on two-stage authenication. LastPass also provides the vault which can store more than just logins, for example notes.

Lastly Lastpass is free for most features but does have a premium version with more features. True Key is limited to 15 logins after which a licence has to be bought or it comes free with McAfee Livesafe. (Buy the Livesafe licence from Amazon and save over the McAfee automatic renewal).

Overall, LastPass is the win-win for me. Haven't tried Dashlane mainly because there is no point in trying it because I'm totally satisfied with Lastpass.

Anthorn

flashg67 wrote: »

Lastpass has been my choice for a long time. I think you need to pay $12 per year for premium which allows sync over multiple devices though

Sync over multiple devices is now available on the free plan:

Unlimited sync across all mobile & desktop devices

https://lastpass.com/features/

wheelz

Thanks everyone I think I might try Lastpass. This morning I got a 50% reduction on annual renewal fee from Keeper. Yesterday I had a 25% reduction.

cookie365

I don't understand why anyone would keep their passwords on the cloud.

Lastpass have already been hacked in the past, it's a certainty that hackers are targetting it right now. And in any case, how do you know that Lastpass themselves are trustworthy?

Use a password manager that stays on your local machine and never passes data directly to the internet. And block it with your firewall just to be sure.

I use Keepass.

Anthorn

cookie365 wrote: »

I don't understand why anyone would keep their passwords on the cloud.

Lastpass have already been hacked in the past, it's a certainty that hackers are targetting it right now. And in any case, how do you know that Lastpass themselves are trustworthy?

Use a password manager that stays on your local machine and never passes data directly to the internet. And block it with your firewall just to be sure.

I use Keepass.

The point is not that LastPass were hacked but that user data was not compromised. The hackers failed on several occasions to crack the strong encryption algorithms.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2936663/lastpass-was-hacked-heres-what-you-have-to-do.html
However LastPass do recommend enabling multifactor login which LastPass does support.
https://lastpass.com/multifactor-authentication/

However Keepass cannot similarly claim that their encryption algorithms are similarly secure. Back in 2015 it was reported that hackers stole user data from Keepass.
http://arstechnica.co.uk/security/2015/11/hacking-tool-swipes-encrypted-credentials-from-password-manager/

Of course password managers get hacked. So do banks and telecommunication companies and government websites. What self-respecting hacker wouldn't hack them?

As LastPass is quick to point out, your passwords are as secure as your master password so have a strong one: That should be easy because when a password manager is used you have just one password to remember.

Frozen_up_north

The big flaw with passwords are the users, typically using something like "highstreet1", then "highstreet2" when prompted to change. At least with password managers you can have one complex password to access the rest, with phones that include a fingerprint reader you don't have to type a password again.

As to which offers the best security, that's the $64,000 question where you need to trust the authors... At least with some you have the choice of local or cloud storage.