Why Everyone Concerned About Online Security Should Use a Secure Password Manager

"After being informed that my medical information had been hacked from three different medical providers associated with a large, local hospital chain last year, I decided to take action."

Years ago, my father was very ill and I thought he was going to die.

Almost immediately, my casual and occasional interest in genealogical research evolved into an obsession. It was not a good time for me to jump into this, given the ongoing need to prioritize my family and travel around the world for my job.

By 2007, I had published a manuscript documenting Dad’s family history. It traced back to an ancestor who married a pregnant widow in 1675. She had recently lost her husband during King Phillip’s War in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Thankfully, Dad lived several more years, and I was proud to have shared my work, albeit incomplete, with him and Mom.

Later, my love of genealogy led me to continue researching both sides of my family, including my wife Kay’s ancestors, who were among the earliest settlers of Oakland County, Michigan. Today, I volunteer for a few state and local genealogical societies, serving in roles such as newsletter editor. In this role, I recently wrote an article directed to these researchers that is something everyone should consider.

Family History Researchers Face Risks to Their Family, Financial, and Other Information

As researchers, we juggle numerous logins -- from Ancestry.com and FamilySearch to regional archives, library portals, and genealogical societies. Day after day, we sign in to attend courses, look for DNA test result matches, and share our research with others. As each site requires a unique login, managing these credentials can become overwhelming quickly. That's where the use of a password manager comes in. No, it's not another person. It's a tool that offers a secure, convenient solution tailored for anyone serious about going online, for any reason.

Managing all those usernames and passwords is a chore -- and writing passwords down or using an Excel file to record them is very risky. And it is not only your genealogy data that is at risk. You likely have hundreds of online accounts for various purposes, including banking and shopping on Amazon. What can you do to ensure they really stay secure?

The Secret to Better Online Security

A password manager is a browser extension tool designed to securely store and organize your usernames and passwords for all the websites and services you use. It allows you to generate strong, unique passwords for each account and access them with a single, secure master password. This means never having to spend time hunting for account credentials and typing them in. A password manager does that for you with the click of a button.

You may wonder why you need another tool to do what your Google, Edge, or Firefox browser may already be doing for you (if you use them). Here is why you should consider a change:

· Web browsers are designed to navigate the web; security is not always a primary focus or area of expertise for these providers. That's why people who care about security are turning to open-source browsers and extensions that security experts have vetted as secure.

· With numerous online accounts to manage, users often reuse the same credentials repeatedly. This exposes many of their other accounts when just one is hacked. Hackers harvest, share, and sell user credentials to thieves for launching attacks on scores of other sites.

· Many well-known websites have already been hacked, and user credentials have been stolen. You may already be at risk for your banking, investment, and health care accounts, in addition to genealogical sites. An encrypted password manager account is needed for protection.

After being informed that my medical information had been hacked from three different medical providers associated with a large, local hospital chain last year, I decided to take action. I selected Bitwarden after conducting thorough research, and now all my accounts are secured with unique, complex passwords. I started moving my most critical accounts first, and over time, have moved all 288 user accounts that I want to keep.

Bitwarden simplifies password management for busy genealogists by providing a secure, centralized solution to handle the many logins required for online research.

• Centralized Encrypted Vault: Bitwarden stores all your passwords, user IDs, and sensitive information in a single, encrypted vault. This drastically reduced the risk of lost or compromised credentials.

• Automatic Password Generation: It can generate strong, unique passwords for every site you use. This not only improves security but also eliminates the hassle of creating and remembering complex passwords yourself.

• Sync Across Devices: Whether you're working from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone, Bitwarden syncs your data across all devices. This ensures you have access to your logins wherever your research takes you, including libraries and archives.

• Browser Integration and Auto-Fill: Bitwarden integrates with popular web browsers, enabling you to automatically fill in your credentials when logging into any website. This saves time and prevents login errors, especially when managing dozens of accounts.

• No More Forgotten Passwords: With Bitwarden, you only need to remember your master password when initially signing on. The tool takes care of the rest, meaning you'll never be locked out of an account due to a forgotten password again.

• Free Version Available: Bitwarden offers a robust free plan, allowing for unlimited password storage and device syncing at no cost, making it accessible to all at any level.

For genealogists and others who juggle numerous research, financial, and other platforms, Bitwarden transforms password management from a tedious chore into a seamless, secure, and efficient process. Say goodbye to Post-It Notes, Excel registers, and password resets.

[I want to say a big “Thank You!” to www.privacyacademy.com and Glenn Meder who helped me over the last year become more secure online. For anyone concerned about privacy, visit his Academy and learn how to move away from big-tech such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft, monitoring and monetizing everything you do, from email to your browsing habits, searches, and website visits,.]