Password manager
A password manager helps users to create, manage and apply their individual access data.
Select password manager
A password manager supports you in creating, managing and applying your individual access data. There are different technical solutions that are specialised for different use cases. Check in advance whether you can cover all your requirements with the chosen password manager.
Note
The master password is the password you use to access your password manager. Always choose a strong master password. Follow the tips regarding the password.
Browser password manager
Use the built-in password manager of your browser to save your access data for web services and have them filled in automatically when you call up a website again. This allows you to conveniently use a separate complex password for each website and you also avoid accidentally entering login data on phishing sites. This is usually free of charge and available across all platforms.
Common products such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Apple Safari offer additional functions. These include functions such as generating secure passwords, importing or exporting access data to or from other password managers or checking for potential security problems in the secured login data.
Furthermore, there is usually an option to keep login data synchronised on several of your own end devices. Please make sure that you do not synchronise any log-in data used for business purposes on private devices. This is especially important if a private device is also used by other people.
Some common browsers offer the option of only making the login data stored with them accessible after entering a main password or after biometric verification by means of a fingerprint. It is advisable to use this additional security measure to prevent unauthorised persons from reading out the stored login data if they gain access to your device.
Advantages
- Easy to use
- Available across all platforms and devics
- Free of charge
Disadvantage
- Mostly only suitable for the login data of web services
Note
Always keep the browser up to date.
Standalone password manager
A stand-alone password manager is software installed on your device that stores your access data in encrypted form on your local hard drive or on one of your network drives.
You can design the security settings and other adjustments to your needs very flexibly. This results in a high level of security adapted to your individual needs - but also a certain complexity in operation.
An established solution in this category is, for example, the free programme KeePass and its variants such as KeepassXC for unix-like systems (Linux, macOS) and Keepass2Android.
Advantages
- High security, as it can be flexibly adapted to one's own needs
- Can also be used for non-web-related access data; examples: PINs and PUKs of the mobile phone SIM, recovery key for hard disk encryption, credit card number with expiry date.
- Source code publicly available and independently verified
- Mostly free of charge
Disadvantage
- More difficult to use