@MTjody

Passwords schmasswords

3 min read
TL;DR - Use a password manager!

Nothing is more annoying than the error message Oops, looks like you used the wrong username or password. I take that back, knowing that the past you once set the password that is preventing current you from logging in is more annoying! Security wise, a majority of people use common passwords (terrible), and/or the same password across multiple services (terribl-er). If the credentials are leaked from any site, malicious Mallory could do significant damage before you take action. Check your accounts here for any known breach. The solution? A password manager!

Most password managers have a free version. The thing is, I need the passwords on all devices I use, and any future device, but these features will make the services start billing you. So after some light digging I found KeePass - an open source password manager which writes account credentials and meta-data to a file which you can store wherever. The file is encrypted and only accessible with a master password (which I unfortunately have to remember). Since it's an encrypted file, it can be placed 'anywhere' - preferrably somewhere safe - such as a flash memory or a cloud-based storage service. On top of this, you're now able to keep separate account types in different files, placed on different locations. E.g. one file for work logins, and one for personal logins.

Sounds good, so where do I start?

The offical page lists clients for most OS's, so chances are you'll find the ones you need. Personally, I have a Mac Laptop and an Android Phone. So I downloaded MacPass for OSX and KeePassDx for Android. Since G-Suite is the cloud of choice for my workplace, I've got my encrypted DB file saved there. To enable file read/write for MacOS via Drive I installed Google Drive File Stream. As soon as I save new passwords from my computer, they'll be accessible from my other connected devices as well.

For information on nifty features and how to use them, just check the docs for the clients you end up with. On my laptop, I double click on a password to copy to clipboard. You could also enable Autotype which could fill out the login form for you, although it requires too many permissions for my taste. On my Android however I recently enabled the autofill feature found in Settings - Form Filling - Autofill. Fingerprint unlock works for the Android client, but the MacPass client has an open Feature Request for TouchID support. It's been open for a while, so if you feel like a hero you could start contributing right away ;p