Ed Bott

One thing I consistently hear from readers, even technically sophisticated ones who understand the importance of securing online accounts, is that their password management strategy is a mess.

At some point, they tried a password manager program, but the effort required to enter all those passwords was overwhelming and they gave up, leaving the job only partially complete.

Sound familiar?

I have a solution.

https://edbott.substack.com/p/get-your-passwords-organized-in-30

Get your passwords organized (in 30 minutes or less)

Set aside a half-hour, follow this three-step program. and you can dramatically improve your online security

Ed Bott's READ ME
Mar 2, 2023 at 8:09pmElk
Show threadMissScott01Mar 2, 2023
@edbott
That’s really helpful, thanks!
Show threadBigbeeMar 2, 2023
@edbott Fantastic piece. Really well done.
Show threadbarryzeeMar 2, 2023
@edbott Great advice! I used that basic philosophy when I finally left Lastpass a couple months ago. If it seems daunting, get the banks & credit cards out of the way 1st session then break it up. I did 10 a day until I was done with a couple hundred. By the end, I was thinking that maybe I would leave the site with my grandsons' Little League schedules just to hack them off if they went there. In any event, it was far less imposing that way and I feel much safer now.
Show threadEd BottMar 2, 2023
@barryzee Which LastPass alternative did you choose?
Show threadThe Flight AttendantMar 2, 2023
@edbott @barryzee Yeah, I'm currently looking for a LastPass alternate too. Any advice is helpful
Show threadThe Flight AttendantMar 3, 2023
@edbott @barryzee Thanks for writing this Ed. It's basically EXACTLY what I've been needing. Switching from lastpass seems daunting but this helps. I'll try 1password. Thanks again!
Show threadbarryzeeMar 3, 2023
@CosmicTraveler @edbott So, I started the 1password trial about a week ago and am liking it. Your import should be easier than mine because 1password will bring your Lastpass vault in directly. Since I was coming from Bitwarden and they don't have a direct import, I had to massage my data a bit. Luckily, I'm pretty tech savvy so it wasn't a big issue. Good luck.
Show threadThe Flight AttendantMar 3, 2023
@barryzee @edbott Thanks!
Show threadbarryzeeMar 3, 2023
@edbott So, I originally used Bitwarden to get the stuff off Lastpass and fast. It worked fine but about a week ago, I started a 1password trial. I'm liking it quite a bit and based on how they say it works with the bad guys needing a key from my physical machine as well, I expect it's worth the price of admission. I spend more in coffee each week.
Show threadkareljMar 3, 2023
@edbott What are your thoughts on the password managers that are built into Edge and Chrome?
Show threadEd BottMar 3, 2023

@karelj Covering that next week, but in the meantime, this article is still pretty accurate:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-it-ok-to-use-your-browsers-built-in-password-manager/

Password managers: Is it OK to use your browser’s built-in password management tools?

Every major browser on every platform includes built-in password management features. Is it safe to use these tools? More importantly, is it smart?

ZDNET
Show threadFrischaMar 3, 2023
@edbott @karelj this is good advice but I still can't be bothered to let my password manager log out every time I close my browser
Show threadEd BottMar 3, 2023
@Frischa @karelj Can you explain in more detail why that bothers you? In some programs, you have the option to change the automatic sign-off settings. Which password manager are you using?
Show threadFrischaMar 3, 2023
@edbott I use bitwarden. If it logs out, then I have to retype the master password, which is annoying. There is a limit to how much annoyance I can take. There is no easy solution unfortunately that replaces using the same password everywhere.
Show threadEd BottMar 3, 2023

@Frischa Use the option to unlock with a PIN. "The pre-checked option **Lock with master password on browser restart** will require you to enter your master password instead of the PIN when your browser restarts. If you want the ability to unlock with a PIN even when the browser restarts, uncheck the option."

Full instructions here:

https://bitwarden.com/help/unlock-with-pin/

Unlock With PIN | Bitwarden

Learn how to add a PIN code to lock and unlock your Bitwarden Vault.

Bitwarden
Show threadFrischaMar 3, 2023
@edbott Thanks.
Show threadeons Luna (Eonity)Mar 4, 2023
@edbott your article here finally motivated me to consolidate all my saved passwords in one place. Previously had them saved across Microsoft Authenticator/Edge and iCloud Keychain, I decided to take some time out and consolidate them onto the former. Might do a sweep of my long-abandoned Mozilla Firefox account for any more saved passwords, but for the most part all of my saved passwords now live inside Microsoft’s Authenticator/Edge service.