Ditch the Post-It Notes and Use a Password Manager

Oct 7, 2022

Most of us manage 100 or more passwords for our online accounts and it can be tough to remember so many unique passwords. If you’re like most people, you’re probably using the same password for most of your accounts—and that’s not safe. Once that single password is stolen, it can be used to gain access to all your accounts and your sensitive information. But no need to fret! Password managers are easy to use and make a big difference.

Password managers can securely store all of your unique passwords in one place. Meaning you only have to remember one password instead of hundreds of passwords. However, about 65% of Americans don’t trust password managers. Here are just a few of the advantages:

  • Only takes a few minutes to download and set up on your computer or device
  • Stores all of your passwords in one place
  • Generates new, secure passwords that are long, unique, and complex
  • Prompts you to store a new password when creating a new online account
  • Protects your identity
  • Notifies you of potential phishing websites
  • Alerts you when a password has potentially become compromised

Wondering what your options are? There are several different free or paid password managers available for personal or business use. Visit https://security.uchicago.edu/password-security/ to learn more about the following password resources. (Note: these tools are not offered or supported by the University at the time of this publication.)

  • Bitwarden
  • Dashlane
  • Keeper
  • LastPass
  • 1Password
  • Apple iCloud Keychain (free and available for Apple devices)
  • Google Password Manager (free for Android and Apple mobile devices, computers)

If you’re still not sure which password manager will work for you, use these trustworthy guides to compare the different options that are currently available: