Password managers hold all your passwords, alongside the system or website name, so that you can easily find your password for each system while at the same time keeping them secret and safe.
What is a password manager and why are they useful?
Password managers hold your passwords so that you don't have to remember them or write them down anywhere for fear of forgetting them. They're useful for keeping your passwords secret and safe.
They also make it easier for you to use different passwords for different sites without forgetting which one to use where. This means that should a site be compromised (such as Amazon or Netflix), then you won't have used the same password for that as for your bank, and your other accounts and website places would be safer as a result.
Remember, whether you use a password manager or not, you must never use your Raven password for any other website or account (except those covered by the University Single Sign-On service).
What password managers are recommended?
We recommend that you follow the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)'s advice on password managers: using browsers and apps to safely store your passwords.
If you need more-enhanced password management features, we recommend NCSC's password manager buyer's guide.
Where should I store the password for my password manager?
The best advice is on the NCSC website, in their article how do I protect my password manager?, where it reminds you that if:
- you forget the ‘master’ password for your password manager, you will not be able to get back into your accounts
- a cyber criminal accesses your password manager account, they will have access to all your accounts.
The article also provides advice on using multi-factor authentication, choosing a strong master password and installing updates for your password manager.