What a password manager is and why to use one

A password manager remembers strong, unique passwords for every account, so you only have to remember one. It is the single biggest practical upgrade to most people’s security.

1. Understand the idea: the manager stores all your passwords in an encrypted vault, unlocked by one strong master password.
2. Know the payoff: every account can have a long, random, unique password without you memorising any of them.
3. Pick a reputable manager — common choices include Bitwarden, 1Password, and the managers built into your browser or phone.
4. Install it, set a strong master password you do not use anywhere else, and turn on 2FA for the manager itself.
5. Let it generate and save a new strong password each time you sign up or change one.
6. Never store the master password in the vault or in an email — memorise it, and keep one written copy somewhere very safe.