Do NOT Save Your Passwords in Browsers, FBI Warns

We’re all looking for the easiest and the most convenient ways to deal with tons of information that we have to process every single day. When we are online, browsers are the tools that allow us to access the information we need. Browsers have seamlessly melted into your everyday lives, to the point that we probably seldom think much about it. Nevertheless, they can be quite vulnerable to hacks and other cybercrime attacks. It is especially important when it comes to password security because we often tend to save our passwords in browsers.

In this entry, we would like to introduce you to the browser and password security recommendations released by the FBI. These recommendations are part of a bigger initiative called Protected Voices. Protected Voices was launched to protect American voters and 2020 political campaigns from online foreign influence operations. However, the bit about browser security can be applied to our daily lives as well. When we are through with the recommendation section, we will look at the best password management solution for you. But don’t forget that smart new tools and gadgets won’t be enough to ensure your password security unless you do your part, too. So, you have to take the recommendations we will present below to heart, and don’t neglect your cybersecurity.

How to Increase Browser Security

Enhanced browser security translates to password security, and if you manage to apply the FBI web security recommendations to your everyday browsing, the chances of getting hacked or your private information stolen will definitely decrease.

As mentioned, we are so used to browsers by now that we don’t think twice when we launch them. It is our window to the unlimited sources of information, research, and communication. Since browser are so indispensable, they are also often targeted by cybercriminals. Just like they are our gates to information and communication, they can be also used by hackers as a backdoor to slither into our networks. And sure, protecting our personal computers is important, but when it comes to cybercrime, it is vital to protect corporate networks, especially if you store and process sensitive information and a lot of personal data.

Of course, companies may have their own security departments that deal with the outside threats, but it’s always important to ensure that the small details are not forgotten, too. For example, when you install a browser, it comes with default settings, and those settings are not safe because it leaves you vulnerable to potential hacks. It is important to update and customize your security settings, so that it would be hard for cybercriminals to exploit it.

One of the most important things that FBI points out is password security. One of the best ways to ensure it is to disable auto-fill, the “remember password” feature, and browsing histories. These features are there to make web browsing more convenient, but it is not safe to enable them on your work computer. It would also be a good idea to clear your browsing history each time you are done with your web browsing session and you’re about to close your browser.

Also, each time you access a new website, you might see a pop-up that asks you to accept cookies for smooth user experience. Again, FBI recommends not accepting cookies from third parties. By accepting cookies, you allow a level of monitoring and surveillance. In the worst-case scenario, your browser may become an espionage tool.

Likewise, you should also avoid adding add-ons and plug-ins to your browser because such extensions might also collect information on your web browsing habits, and they might inadvertently expose you to potentially harmful content. Therefore, if you must customize your browser, make sure that the add-ons are reliable.

How to ensure Password Security

Now, you might say that you need your browser to remember your passwords because you have tons of them, and there’s no way in the world you would memorize them yourself. After all, if you no longer save your passwords in your browser, you might think that you have to resort to using post-it notes again.

Fear not, that’s definitely not something we have in mind. When we talk about best password management solutions, we talk about such tools as Cyclonis Password Manager.

You’ve never thought of using a password manager? And why not? If you’re working with sensitive information, that’s actually one of the best ways to ensure your password security.

First, if you employ a password manager, you would not need to memorize your passwords yourself. Even better, you wouldn’t even need to create them because Cyclonis Password Manager comes with a password generator that can create strong and unique passwords just like that. Needless to say, all your passwords will be saved in an encrypted vault, and you can access them via different devices if you sync the cloud storage.

Hold up, you might say. What if I use different browsers? That’s also not a problem because Cyclonis Password Manager is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and all the main browsers used on the said platforms. What’s more, if you really cannot say good-bye to the auto-fill option, you can still have it, just use a different tool to achieve it.

Cyclonis Password Manager comes with browser extensions that allow you to keep the necessary data closer than you think. With these extensions, you can keep the auto-fill feature on your browser. The difference is that instead of your browser, the logins and passwords are provided by the password manager. As a result, it wouldn’t be that easy for hackers to steal that information because it is stored not in your browser, but on a separate service. And, as mentioned, the information you save on Cyclonis Password Manager is encrypted with a powerful encryption algorithm.

So, to ensure your password security, you can take the basic steps that can make your browser less vulnerable to outside attacks. But it is also advised to consider employing tools like password managers to turn your password game a few notches up.