This post is part of my partnership with the
US Cellular Blogger Brigade Ambassador Program.
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I’m staring at the blank screen. The cursor blinks urgently at me in the space designated for my password.
Oye!
My password, or should I say passwords.
I have so many passwords for my blog, bank account, and medical record. Basically, anything tied to the Internet needs a password. Which I totally get and is completely legit considering the gazillions of people out there who want to be me.
Seriously though if they really want to be me I have ten loads of laundry to fold and a couple toilets to clean.
That’s my life.
What is also a regular part of my life is blanking out when I have to enter my passwords. I inevitably forget it, and then have to reset it, and then forget it again. It’s a vicious cycle that I blame on my “mom brain”.
Worse yet, is creating uber simplistic passwords, just so I won’t forget them. Did you know in a recent Harris Interactive survey 59 percent of adults admit to reusing passwords due to the difficulty remembering them?
At least, I’m not alone. But while comforting, it’s also scary. I’m protecting my precious life with a password a monkey could crack, YIKES!
In fact, among the password habits that need attention are reusing passwords and creating weak passwords, such as your dog’s name, 12345 or password123.
When it comes to protecting valuable information, those passwords share common patterns, creating vulnerability across the various accounts we all use every day, ranging from the ones that need to be most secure, like bank and credit cards, to social media sites or free subscriptions. If one account gets hacked, all accounts sharing the same password and email are at much greater risk.
There comes a moment when you need to call in the reinforcements. I’ve used a few password apps that take over as my brain once in a while. Here are a few of my favorites:
Keeper:
As the number one most downloaded password management app, Keeper provides users with the ability to manage passwords across various accounts. Keeper’s free version provides local password storage and users on one device. A $29.99 per year subscription is required to access many of its quality features. Those include unlimited password storage, secure online storage for photos, videos and documents, and access to multiple devices, along with the ability to share the information with other users. Those with a subscription can also set up fingerprint login for quick and secure access to their account.
Dashlane is another great option. It’s, rated among the top password manager apps and is listed as Editor’s Pick in the Google Play Store. In addition to creating complex passwords for accounts, Dashlane acts as a digital wallet to make secure on-the-go payments and provides security breach alerts for usernames and passwords. Offered for $39.99 per year, the premium subscription allows syncing across devices, securing Cloud backup and accessing information via the web.
This trusted app provides users with a secure vault and organization of accounts for user preference. Its features also allow for easy transitions between accounts on the same site. Like many other password management apps, LastPass can also keep track of credit card information, audit account passwords, record secure audio notes and more. Premium features for $12 a year include a shared family folder, unlimited device sync, multi-factor authentication and access to accounts from any device or computer.
The complex passwords created can be easily stored and used, and often shared across platforms, including home computers, work computers and smart devices, like the iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy Edge and iPads.
A recent U.S. Cellular survey indicates that 65 percent of smartphone users always remember to take their device with them when they leave the house. With that mobility and U.S. Cellular’s robust network with nationwide coverage, people have embraced their smartphones for shopping online, managing bank accounts, catching up on the news and emailing, all while on the go.
Some additional steps to keep your accounts safe are simple, such as refraining from connecting in locations offering free WiFi. While it may be tempting to utilize the free WiFi, the connection may not be secure, which can impact your account security if accessed while connected.
Another easy step is one of the most obvious – use built-in features such as the screen lock on your device. This feature comes standard on many devices and requires a pattern, fingerprint identification or character password to be entered before anything on the device can be accessed.
Whew!
Thank goodness for all these apps and helpful tips to keep my information secure. Not only that, but I can save brain space for important things like movie quotes and song lyrics.
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Disclaimer: Through the rest of the year I’ll be sharing some more of My BETTER MOMENTS as a US Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade Ambassador. All opinions are my own and an honest view of my story as a US Cellular customer.
