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The 1Password Guide to Password Managers
Learn why password managers are essential, and how 1Password can ease the management of multiple digital accounts to help keep you and your family safe online.
Recent research says 94% of us are reusing the same selection of weak passwords across multiple digital accounts, and we are rarely changing them. Easily cracked by cybercriminals, an attacker can quickly jump from your email to your social media to your bank account, hijacking your entire digital life in a matter of seconds.
Poor password management is also one of the leading causes of data breaches, so fail to take adequate steps to protect your data and devices and you could find yourself in hot water at work, too.
Securing your passwords is the simplest, cheapest, and most significant upgrade you can make to your entire digital security setup, and the effects are instant.
Do it now: start with a 14-day free trial, then save 25% on 1Password.
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1Password Plans – Overview
How to Choose a Password Manager
Password managers let you use multiple strong passwords without needing to remember every single one, and in doing so will protect your accounts from unauthorized access. But in security and usability not all password managers are equal, so it’s important to choose the right one.
Even free password managers can generate strong, unique passwords, lock them away with end-to-end encryption, and make them available across your devices, with autofill speeding up your logins. But you’ll miss out on advanced features such as breach monitoring, family-friendly secure sharing, and the enhanced ease of use offered by premium tools.
With its intuitive interface, 1Password makes managing your logins easy. You get an additional layer of security with Secret Key, a unique feature that keeps you safe even when your master password is exposed. Its Watchtower feature also alerts you when one of your accounts is breached or at risk of exposure, helping you to take action before the whole lot finds its way into the wrong hands.
More than just a password manager, 1Password can securely store your bank or credit card details, identity details such as from your passport, driver’s license, and medical record, sensitive documents, secure notes, membership or reward program credentials, software keys, server and router logins, and so much more.
Good password management is the most important step in protecting your online accounts, and with that your identity, finances, and personal data. Choosing a premium password manager with tried-and-tested security is the smartest thing you’ll do today.
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Choose Your 1Password Plan
1Password Password Manager Individual Plan – for protecting and simplifying your entire digital life
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1Password’s individual plan is ideal for anyone who wants to take the first steps in securing their digital accounts, and simplifying the process of generating and remembering strong passwords.
Like all password managers, 1Password securely stores your login details and automatically signs you into websites and services on any device running macOS, iOS, watchOS, Windows, Android or Linux. Its approach to security is fundamentally different, though, with a second level of encryption meaning any would-be attacker needs both your master password and your Secret Key to access and decrypt your data – information not even 1Password is privy to.
Also unlike those other password managers, 1Password authenticates your login without sharing the credentials over a network where they could be intercepted, and it offers a Travel Mode that lets you wall off any information (for example, passwords, identity details, secure documents and notes) that you won’t need away from home.
With 1Password, your sensitive data is always secure, and always available when you need it. You can securely share passwords, even when your recipients don’t use 1Password, and set up guest accounts to access certain records as required. Should a login fall into the wrong hands, Watchtower will immediately alert you so you can take action.
1Password Password Manager Family Plan – for reducing the chaos of multiple digital accounts
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Ideal for couples and families, the 1Password Family Plan makes it simple for your entire brood to create, securely store, and autofill login credentials on any any device, anywhere.
Managing your own passwords is enough of a lift without having to also deal with the kids’ accounts. With 1Password’s Family Plan, you can add up to four more users, then access simple admin controls to quickly recover those accounts when the inevitable happens and they lock themselves out. It’s easy to onboard new users, and you can add trusted devices simply by scanning a QR code.
The Family Plan offers the best value for two or more 1Password users, and has all the same great features of the Individual Plan, plus the ability to securely share unlimited vaults. Each vault can contain more than just passwords – for example, identity details, secure documents and notes – and can be temporarily deactivated using the Travel Mode feature. You can always see sharing history, and turn on or off individual item sharing as required.
All 1Password plans benefit from 24/7 support through email, forum, and social media, and there is a wealth of troubleshooting information available in the self-serve online library. Securing your whole family’s digital footprint literally couldn’t be simpler.
What makes 1Password stand out from other password managers?
All password managers do the same basic job, but 1Password has a number of features that make it a firm favorite among millions of users and over 175,000 businesses worldwide.
Secret Key
1Password takes the standard 256-bit AES encryption offered by other password managers, and adds a second layer of encryption with its 128-bit Secret Key. Even if someone gains access to your 1Password items, they won’t be able to decrypt and understand any of it without also knowing your Secret Key.
Watchtower
Using a password manager is a great first step in securing your online accounts, but you also need to know whether any of those passwords are at risk of being or have already been exposed. Watchtower alerts you to any weak or duplicate passwords, or to those that have previously appeared in data breaches. You can take proactive action and change your passwords before the damage spreads any further.
Securely share 1Password items with anyone
From time to time it is necessary to share a password with another user, and 1Password lets you do so in the most secure way possible – they don’t even need to be a 1Password user. You choose when the link expires and who can access it.
Shared vaults
For securely sharing items with your family, 1Password offers an even simpler option. The Family Plan has a Shared Vault, and anyone on the plan can instantly see any items placed within that vault. This can be a password, credit card or sensitive document, or it could be the wireless router network details, family medical records, or even software license keys.
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