If you’re new to the Internet, modern web browsers will ask if you want the browser to remember your password and login ID every time you enter your password on a website. It is all your choice to do so or not.
If you choose to save your login information, it will be saved in two methods. First, it is stored on the device locally. If you enable password sync, it will also be saved to that account. This allows you to access information on multiple devices.
So you can freely switch devices and quickly sign into your accounts, as it works great.
So managing passwords in web browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox has never been easy. However, just because you can do it and can make the experience better, does not mean it’s safe to do so.
How to view Saved Password?
If you are using Google Chrome then you can check your stored Passwords by using these simple and easy steps.
- Click on three dots located at your top Right side
- Click on the Setting’s Button
- Select Auto-fill Option located at left side
- Then Click on Password Manager
Now you can see your Saved Passwords
The process is similar on other browsers like Microsoft Edge, Firefox and Safari.
Why Saved Passwords are not Safe
Forced login is really easy on any modern computer. Now some of you are thinking, “Well, that’s not happening to me.” However, nearly 90% of you think so before it happens.
Anyone can easily get hold of your devices and steal passwords stored in the browser.
Export your Saved Passwords
You can export saved passwords using Excel.
On the one hand, it makes it easier to enter your passwords on the new device if you don’t want to use the sync option. It’s also a great way to get a list of physical accounts if your hardware gets damaged or stolen.
On the other hand, you can export your passwords and store that information on a USB or in the cloud for later use.
This is a double-edged sword.
Unimportant Login Information
Obviously, there’s a difference between someone getting your bank account password and someone getting a password to a site.
However, even though you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts,” 68 percent people still do. To make matters worse, passwords like “12345” and “password” are still popular choices.
If you fall into this statistic, saving passwords is a problem even for simple sites.
It is also worthless that users often use personal information as passwords. Doing this is a bad idea.
Another example is using your phone number. This is information you do not want to use as your password.
Therefore, even passwords on trivial websites can be dangerous.
No Focus on Sign-In ID’s
A login ID does not provide much protection for an account. For example, colleges usually have your school account as your initials and last name. It is not very confidential
This means that anyone who goes to the same school and knows your name has your login ID. Only a password can prevent them from logging in.
Not only the university, many banks use a similar system because it is easy to remember. Many other sites just ask you to sign in with your email address.
Likewise, anyone who knows your login ID & also knows your Email Address.
If you’ve ever created a community account on the site, the username that appears when you create a post is likely your login ID. Did you notice a pattern?
Login IDs provide little or, in many cases, no account protection.
Two-Factor Authentication Prevention
Getting to set up two-factor authentication (2FA) isn’t easy, but it makes your account more secure most of the time.
First, let’s discuss what Two-Factor authentication is. 2FA is a system that requires a verification code after entering a password. It can be in three main forms: email, text or security code.
The verification code will be sent immediately which will expire after some time.
Now, you probably get this, but if you save your email password in your web browser and someone steals it, your 2FA system is broken. That said, text messages or security tokens (Google Authenticator app) are very secure.
Although if the password is stored in your phone’s web browser and stolen… yes, the system can still crash.
That said, 2FA significantly increases the security of your account. I highly recommend setting it up, you might even get a bonus for doing so.
Safer Way to Save Passwords
That’s what password managers are for.
These are third-party programs that store your passwords using encrypted data, which is just a fancy way of saying that they’re unreadable by anyone other than the person they’re targeting.
As you can imagine, most of them are paid, but there are some free password managers.
They are easy to understand. You enter your login information into the app and when you visit the site, you can choose which login you want to use from a list. Some will change your password to a stronger version for added security.
The good news is that you don’t actually need to memorize random strings of letters, numbers, and symbols. These programs store it in a safe environment. The only password you need to remember is the admin password.
Some are designed to not store this information so that it cannot be stolen if someone gets hold of the device.
I said at the beginning that people have trouble managing their passwords, so there is a huge market for them.
Password Manager
We Hope this reassures you that passwords stored in your web browser are not secure. Anyone who lives in your home, works in your office, or anyone who steals your device can easily access them.
In some cases, they can even subvert systems like 2FA that are designed to improve account security.
However, I can’t deny that remembering fifty different passwords is a big pain. That’s why I recommend investing in a high-quality password manager.
As a user, it works almost like a browser that saves passwords, but more secure.
