Why You Should Never Save Passwords on Your Device

Although it might be tempting and convenient, you should never save passwords on your phone, tablet, or computer. This includes saving them in notes, documents, and even autofill. Your devices’ notes, for example, might back up your information to cloud storage, which makes that information easier for hackers to access, in addition to making that information less secure. Generally, saving passwords on your devices can create easy access to your accounts if your device were to be stolen or lost.

The Issue with Autofill
Many web browsers automatically save your personal information and passwords so that you don’t have to remember it, or frequently type it in. If your laptop or phone is stolen, or if an untrustworthy family member or friend borrows your device, they now have access to your information. They can easily view and use a summarized list of all of your saved login, location, and payment information in your browser’s settings.

Read More: Google’s Password Alert Tool Helps Prevent Phishing Attacks

Consider Using a Passphrase
If you’re having trouble remembering your passwords, the first step might be to create passwords that involve a passphrase instead of a complicated, random sequence of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A passphrase is an uncommon phrase or sentence that involves a long sequence of random words (in addition to numbers, symbols, etc), or a sentence that is reasonably unique. A passphrase will be easier to remember, which means that you won’t be tempted to write it down or record it in a note on your device.

Download a Password Manager
If you have more than a dozen accounts, and are having trouble coming up with and remembering long, unique passwords for each one, then a password manager might be the solution to your problem. A password manager is a software application that safely stores all of your passwords. All you need to remember is a master password — you can log into all of your websites with this master password. One of the best password managers currently available is LastPass. It’s easy to use, free, and available for all of your devices.

Protect Your Device
You should do everything you can to protect the information on your devices. While this might include using a password manager or creating more memorable passwords, it should also include downloading antivirus software. Download PSafe Total for your Android and PSafe Total Windows for your PC to protect your devices against malware 24/7.