Password Manager (Students)

Password managers are applications that are designed to store and manager account credentials. These passwords are usually stored in an encrypted database that is protected by a master password, to ensure no one else can access the passwords. QMUL recommends that students use a password manager to keep both their university and personal account credentials safe. 

How a password manager can help keep you secure 

• You only have to remember one password – without reusing it!
  When using a password manager, you only need to remember your master password – the password that you will use to access the password manager. All your other passwords will be stored securely in the password manager and will be automatically entered into login pages via the password manager browser extension. This means that you can use unique passwords for all your accounts without worrying about forgetting them. 
• You can easily use stronger passwords. 
  Since all your passwords will be securely stored in the password manager, you can safely use more complex passwords without worrying about forgetting them. Most password managers will also include a password generator to help you create secure and unique passwords for all your accounts. 
  
  
• You can access your passwords across multiple devices. 
  Most password managers will allow you to access your passwords across all of your devices, including laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. Using either the cloud storage provided by the password manager, or by using your own cloud services such as OneDrive, you can ensure that you are never without your passwords, even when moving to new devices.  
  
  
• Password managers can secure more than just passwords. 
  Many password managers can store extra information other than passwords, such as secure notes, payment information, and common form information (address, name, etc). Some paid password managers also have additional functionality such as a VPN. 
  
  
• You can be alerted if your password has been compromised. 
  Some paid password managers will also offer dark web monitoring for your passwords. This means that if your password is involved in a data breach and is being sold online, your password manager will alert you so you can change your password. QMUL does conduct dark web monitoring for your QMUL student account – however password managers can extend this protection to all of your accounts. 

Free options 

1. Bitwarden - https://bitwarden.com/
   Bitwarden is a free password manager that has a browser extension and cloud sync functionality. While there are paid subscription options, the free tier has all the core functionality included and can store unlimited passwords across unlimited devices.  
   
   
2. KeePassXC - https://keepassxc.org/
   KeePassXC is a free password manager that offers a desktop client and browser extension. It differs from other password managers in that it does not have cloud functionality out of the box. To ensure you can access your passwords across multiple devices you will need to save your password vault file in a cloud storage solution such as OneDrive, and ensure that the password vault file is synced across all devices you need to access your passwords on. 
    
3. iCloud Keychain - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204085
   iCloud Keychain is Apple’s password manager that works on all Apple devices. However, iCloud Keychain does not work on other devices such as Windows, Linux, or Android, so it may not be the most suitable option if you are moving between different types of devices frequently. 
   
   
4. Browsers
   Browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge have password managers built into the browser. If you login to the browser using a Google, Firefox, or Microsoft account respectively, you can sync your passwords across multiple devices. Browser password managers will allow you to generate unique passwords and store them securely, however, they are usually fairly basic and lack some of the features found in dedicated password managers such as the storage of secure notes.

Please note that if you choose to use your QMUL Microsoft account to store your passwords in the Edge browser, you will lose access to these passwords when your account is disabled after graduation.  

Paid options 

While free password managers can offer all the basic functionality required of a password manager, paid options can offer additional features and functionality. It is up to students if they want to select a paid password manager and all costs will have to be paid by them. In some cases, you may be able to find student discounts available to lower the price of the subscription while you are at university. Below are a few paid password managers that are recommended, however, prices and features offered can change over time so students should do their own research to decide which paid password manager would be best for them – the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has a comprehensive password manager buyers guide that can help with your decision (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/passwords/password-manager-buyers-guide) 

Dashlane - https://www.dashlane.com/

1Password - https://1password.com/

NordPass - https://nordpass.com/