How to change computer password windows 10

Nearly every website you visit, from dating apps to hyper-secure banking sites, insists you create a user account and think up a password. The problem? Human memory can't keep up with dozens upon dozens of passwords. Some people get the bright idea of using the simplest possible password, like "123456789" or "password." Others memorize one superbly random password and use it for everything. Either strategy is likely to make you the latest victim of identity theft.

Is It Worth Paying for a Password Manager?

The short answer is: yes. Password managers keep you safe, and they're also highly convenient. Use a password manager, and use your password manager's features correctly. With a password manager, you don't have to remember strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. The password manager stores them for you, helps you generate new, random ones, and can even help you pass on your passwords to your loved ones after you die.

All the best password managers mentioned in this article cost money, though you can use some of them for free if you accept certain limitations. If you don't want to spend money and don't want limitations, don't worry. We've rounded up the best free password managers in a separate article.

We've tested and analyzed dozens of password managers so you can pick the one that best fits your needs. Not happy with your initial choice? Don't worry. Most services allow you to export your saved data or import it from other products, easing the process of switching password managers.

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Some password managers, such as LastPass, eliminate the need for a master password by offering a passwordless entry to your desktop vault. This technology is still being developed. A LastPass representative tells us the company will support next-gen FIDO2 passwordless biometric face and fingerprint authentication on the desktop later this year. Biometric logins are already supported on the LastPass app.

As an additional precaution, you should set up multi-factor authentication to secure your password manager account, be it biometric, SMS-based, or via time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs) stored in an authenticator app. The best password managers support authentication via U2F or OTP-based hardware security keys, most of which are about the size of an actual key and made to go on your key ring.

Before you commit to any password manager, you need to make sure it works on each device you use and doesn't prevent you from syncing your passwords across all your devices. Although support for Windows and macOS platforms is a given, several password managers now offer native Linux apps, too. The best password managers have browser extensions for every popular browser that can operate independently of a desktop app.

How Do Password Managers Work?

Most people use a password manager primarily to manage website credentials. In practice, when you log in to a secure site, the password manager offers to save your credentials. When you return to that site, it offers to fill in those credentials. If you've saved multiple logins for the same site, the password manager lists all those options. Most password managers also offer a browser toolbar menu of saved logins, so you can go straight to a saved site and log in automatically.

Some products detect when you change your password to an account and offer to update the existing password on file to the new one. Some record your credentials when you create a new account for a secure website. For maximum convenience, you should avoid password managers that don't automatically capture passwords.

Entering all your existing passwords into a password manager is a good first step. Next, you must identify weak and duplicate passwords and replace them with tough ones. Password managers can flag these bad passwords and help you improve them. A PCMag survey found that 70% of respondents reuse passwords for their accounts. Clearly, then, removing reused passwords is one of the biggest ways a password manager can improve your security. Some password managers even check whether you have set up multi-factor authentication for those services in your vault that support it and whether your personal information appears in any data breaches.

What Are Important Password Manager Features?

Most password managers can fill in personal data on web forms, such as first and last name, email address, phone number, bank cards, passport numbers, etc. Some password managers also show you realistic images of credit cards with the correct color and bank logo of your physical card to make it easy to pick the payment option you want when shopping online. Many password managers also can capture and fill credentials for desktop applications.

Most password managers include a built-in mechanism for securely sharing passwords with other users, but some go further with advanced permissions. For instance, a few password managers allow you to share a login without making the password visible, revoke sharing, or make the recipient an owner of the item.

On a grimmer note, what happens to your secure accounts after you die? Many products include some provision for a digital legacy, a method to transfer your logins to a trusted individual in the event of your death or incapacity.

Some password management companies also offer versions of their products for businesses and teams. These products usually emphasize multi-factor authentication and offer single sign-on, as well as advanced credential-sharing capabilities between team members. The best password managers let administrators see which employees use weak, reused, or compromised passwords for their work accounts.

What Are the Most Secure Password Managers?

Logging in with your secure username and password to a website that doesn't use a secure HTTPS connection is a big no-no. Some password managers warn you about insecure login pages. Even when you use HTTPS, sniffers and snoops can still learn some things about your activity, such as the simple fact you're logging in to the secure site and the IP address from which you're connecting. Running your secure connections through a virtual private network, or VPN, adds a layer of protection. Dashlane includes a simple built-in VPN. RememBear and NordPass, respectively, come from the same companies behind Editors' Choice VPNs, TunnelBear VPN, and NordVPN. 

Recommended by Our Editors

Simple Tricks to Remember Insanely Secure Passwords

Secure storage is an increasingly common feature among password managers, too. The storage allocation won’t replace the need for dedicated cloud storage and syncing service, but in many cases, it’s enough for storing important documents in an encrypted state.

Although a password manager needs to offer advanced features, it should remain easy to use and avoid needless complexity. Users who get annoyed or baffled by a password manager may abandon it and go back to using sticky notes to store and share passwords or, worse, apply the same password everywhere. Note: If you get fed up with your current tool, we have a guide for switching to a new password manager.

What's Not Here

As mentioned earlier, you also won't find any only-free password managers here. Those products are in a separate roundup. The password managers that offer excellent paid and free tiers appear in both roundups.

A password manager isn't the only thing you need to secure your digital life. We already mentioned the importance of VPN and multi-factor authentication, but you should also use a security suite. It never hurts to verify all your security software works, either.

What Is the Best Password Manager for 2022?

Our Editors' Choice winners for the category are Dashlane, Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault, LastPass, and Zoho Vault. Slick and polished Dashlane boasts a ton of features. Keeper offers advanced capabilities, a sleek and elegant user interface, and support for every popular platform and browser. LastPass Premium excels because of its ease of use and competitive security tools. Zoho Vault has a robust free tier that syncs across all platforms and a litany of enterprise features for teams and businesses. You won't go wrong choosing any one of these services. Products here that do not earn an Editors' Choice award still have their merits, however, and you may even prefer one of them.

About Kim Key

Security Analyst

As a PCMag security analyst, I report on security solutions such as password managers and parental control software, as well as privacy tools such as VPNs. Each week I send out the SecurityWatch newsletter filled with online security news and tips for keeping you and your family safe on the internet. 

Before joining PCMag, I wrote about tech and video games for CNN, Fanbyte, Mashable, The New York Times, and TechRadar. I also worked at CNN International, where I did field producing and reporting on sports that are popular with worldwide audiences. Yes, I know the rules of cricket.

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