Password Management Software
Cybersecurity experts recommend the use of password-management software to help generate stronger passwords and to keep track of them. Password-manager software relies on your using one, strong, master password or something you have (like a fingerprint or your face) to unlock and access the information for your accounts.
Everyone has a lot of passwords these days. Best practice is that you NEVER reuse a password or passphrase. You should use a unique passphrase for every service, application, website, and whatever else needs a password. Some services require you to change your password periodically. That means you can have a LOT of passwords to keep up with. Everyone does. That's why password-management software is recommended.
Your Digital Ambassador team should come to consensus on whether you will recommend the use of password-management software to older adults. This module has shown you that they should be using longer passphrases, not passwords. They should not use real words, and they should change them periodically. That's a lot to ask without having some kind of solution. Password-management software can generate strong passphrases.
There is password-management software that is free or low-cost and some that comes at a cost. Recommending purchasing software is tricky for school groups. You don't want to be seen as endorsing for-profit organizations, even if they provide high-quality resources.
One strategy to address password-management software is to share general characteristics about them, how they can help, and criteria for determining which one is best matched to an individual's needs. Review the criteria below from CoSN and consider having members of the team review different applications. Some options to review include Bitwarden, LastPass, Keepass, and Roboform, but you may find others to review.
Advice from CoSN
The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) provides suggestions for selecting the best password-management tool in their Cybersecurity Toolkit. These include:
- The password manager should be easy to use across multiple devices and easily updates an individual's credentials.
- The password manager should use strong encryption.
- You may benefit from a password manager that recommends strong passwords to users.
- A password manager that integrates with your favorite web browsers can be beneficial.
- Confirm that password databases are routinely backed up and can be restored when necessary.
- If possible, consider an enterprise solution that allows IT staff to support end users who lose or forget their master password. An enterprise solution is one offered at the organization level. This can be offered by the managers of a retirement community or perhaps by a nonprofit that supports older adults.