By Tamiracle Williams
According to Florida Association of REALTORS® Tech Helpline, 1 in 5 Americans have experienced a compromised online account. Between Association member portals and social media passwords, real estate professionals have several passwords to remember daily. Some opt for the old fashion method of writing them down on paper. Others use password savers like Apple Keychain and Google Password. However, there is a better option that works across Android and Apple devices. It’s called a password manager.
What’s a password manager?
Consumer Reports describes password managers as a service that “can help defend against criminals by generating and storing passwords for each of your online accounts.” Password managers are like a digital vault. Similar to Apple Keychain, most managers will auto-complete forms and have a copy-and-paste feature on mobile and tablet devices.
Passphrase and authentication codes help secure password managers. Some of the top password managers include Last Pass, 1Password, Dashlane and Sticky Password. Each offer individual and team/business accounts. Some password managers start at a low price of $2.99 per month for an individual account.
Real estate professionals should continue to take the following safety precautions regardless if they decide to purchase a password manager:
- Always opt for multifactor authentication such as getting a verification code sent to you phone.
- Regularly change your password, most websites including your Greater Tampa REALTORS® member portal will prompt you to change your password every 6-8 months.
- Only use trusted computers and devices.
- Don’t use the same password across platforms.
It’s important to remember that password managers are just an extra level of security for protecting your data.
