this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2024
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It is truly upsetting to see how few people use password managers. I have witnessed people who always use the same password (and even tell me what it is), people who try to login to accounts but constantly can't remember which credentials they used, people who store all of their passwords on a text file on their desktop, people who use a password manager but store the master password on Discord, entire tech sectors in companies locked to LastPass, and so much more. One person even told me they were upset that websites wouldn't tell you password requirements after you create your account, and so they screenshot the requirements every time so they could remember which characters to add to their reused password.

Use a password manager. Whatever solution you think you can come up with is most likely not secure. Computers store a lot of temporary files in places you might not even know how to check, so don't just stick it in a text file. Use a properly made password manager, such as Bitwarden or KeePassXC. They're not going to steal your passwords. Store your master password in a safe place or use a passphrase that you can remember. Even using your browser's password storage is better than nothing. Don't reuse passwords, use long randomly generated ones.

It's free, it's convenient, it takes a few minutes to set up, and its a massive boost in security. No needing to remember passwords. No needing to come up with new passwords. No manually typing passwords. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but if even one of you decides to use a password manager after this then it's an easy win.

Please, don't wait. If you aren't using a password manager right now, take a few minutes. You'll thank yourself later.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (19 children)

I don't even understand why I need to make a password for some sites anymore. They send a code to my phone everytime.to make.sure it's me so it seems like there's practically no point.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

Because different layers protect you against different things. It's like how you have anti-lock brakes, a seatbelt, an airbag, and crumple zones on your car. You don't just have one thing to protect you.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (15 children)

I've been using Firefox's built in password store, plus 2fa for sensitive accounts when possible. Are there any known issues? Uploading all my passwords to someone else's server sounds silly.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

I store my master password on a sticky note attached to the bottom of my desktop's power supply. Easily accessible if I were to die, but sufficiently secure that if it were physically compromised I would have significantly worse problems on my hands.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (14 children)

I migrated to Bitwarden from Firefox a few months ago and I regret it as it's slower and inconvenient while not adding any major features. So yes, use a password manager and the one provided by Firefox is perfect for almost everyone.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

But I wanna tell people my master password to my pw manager. It's such a fantastic password that no one could ever possibly guess I would have. I wanna gloat.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (6 children)

How do I convince my girlfriend to stop using her safari password manager and migrate it to bitwarden? Is the password manager in Safari so unsafe that it's worth the additional effort she might ask.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (10 children)

Is there manager than create password based on masterpassword and domain/username? Do not want to lose all password just because drive dies. Do NOT want to use cloud anywhere.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (7 children)

backups backups backups.

keep a copy on your computer, your phone, and every spare drive u have in the house. ask a friend to store the file at their place.

also, whats wrong with a cloud provider, if the file is encrypted ?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Why preach to this choir? I get you, but we also get it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (10 children)

So many folks talking about which software they use, and how they sync it between devices etc.

You all know there are hardware password keepers right? They present to your devices as a usb and/or bluetooth keyboard and just type out the user/password that you select. They have browser plugins to ease the experience. Now your password is not even stored on the device you're using to perform your login and it will work on any modern device even without internet access.

Oh and no subscription fee to cover the costs of cloud infrastructure.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago (3 children)

What's wrong with a password manager built in the browser?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Honestly nothing. I recommend this to everyone because it is the easiest way to set up and offers huge advantages.

  1. No more password reuse, per site random passwords.
  2. Auto-fill reduces chance of phishing attacks work because you get suspicious if the password doesn't auto-fill.
  3. Most browsers will integrate it into their sync service to reduce the risk of you losing your passwords.

I think these are the two biggest benefits and every browser password manager will accomplish both.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's what I've resorted to, but I only use Firefox because it has a master password.

Chrome has no master password so what stops any fool from stealing your passwords while you're taking a piss, I don't know.

Password managers always cause me headaches, though, and never want to integrate correctly. More trouble than their worth in my estimation.

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