One of the most common pieces of advice security experts give for passwords is to have a different one for every single account. This means that if a hacker manages to steal one of your passwords, they only get access to one account, and less damage can be done. Remembering a different password for each account is impossible for most of us, so here are five online password managers that can make your online life more secure.
RoboForm ($19.95 a year)
RoboForm was one of the first password managers on computers, debuting in 1999 for Internet Explorer. Although the annual subscription charge may put some people off, it will appeal to large organisations that require dedicated support. The password manager itself will let you encrypt your data and store it on servers so it can be accessed from anywhere in the world, and the software works in all major browsers and operating systems, including mobile phones. There is also a free version, but this only supports 10 passwords and does not store them remotely.
LastPass (Free or $1 a month)
LastPass is RoboForm's main competitor, and one of the most widely used password managers today. Most people would find the free account covers everything they need, since it allows for unlimited stored logins which it encrypts and stores online. The manager is also available in all major browsers, and comes with a secure password generator that ensures all your passwords are different. The main reason you should spend the $1 a month subscription is if you require access on mobile devices or support via email or phone.
Unlike other password managers, LastPass have implemented many optional security features that you can take advantage of. Integration with the Google Authenticator app is available if you have an iPhone or Android, and the browser plugin can prevent keyloggers from seeing your password with a handy onscreen keyboard.
Passpack (Free - $40 a month)
Passpack offers far more flexibility in terms of pricing than the other password managers, with 5 different plans available depending on the size of your organisation. The selling point of Passpack is that big organisations only require one actual account, as the software allows for the same stored passwords to be accessed by multiple people or groups. This means that for a low monthly price, all your business passwords can be stored in the same location, and you can allow or deny access as you see fit.
Mitto (Free)
Mitto is a completely free online password manager, but offers many of the same features that paid managers offer. A key feature of Mitto is that a lot of site logins are already recognisable, so you can set up your passwords without having to log into those sites first. To protect against possible account hijackings, Mitto will prompt you for extra security data if you log on from another computer. For absolutely no cost to the user, this is a very good deal to look into.
Clipperz (Free)
Whilst all other password managers I've discussed have kept their code proprietary, Clipperz is open source. That means that the source code behind the manager is free to download from their website to look at or run security audits on. The manager is also completely zero-knowledge, so all data stored is completely encrypted (even usernames). Clipperz supports many features of paid password managers, yet the project is fully funded by donations, and is developing a community edition for organisations to use.
