When you think about keeping your details secure online, you might think about firewalls and virus checkers. And that’s understandable, but something you might not consider is a Password Manager.
What is a Password Manager?
A password manager is an app on your computer, phone, or tablet that allows you to save and store all of your passwords in one place so you don’t have to remember them.
Not only that, it also adds an extra layer to your online security.
Why do you need a Password Manager?
Having all of your passwords in one place may be a scary thought at first, but a password manager is actually one of the best ways to stop your accounts from being hacked.
Password managers are sencrypted to AES 256-bit military standards. Your master password is also encrypted, so even the provider doesn’t know it. And because only you have access to your master password, your passwords are safe even if the manager is hacked.
A password manager is essential for anyone starting a coaching business because it makes it easy to securely share your logins with a team of people like web designers, copywriters, and project managers.
How to choose the right Password Manager?
There are lots of options on the market, but to make it easy for you, here are my top four recommended password managers:
LastPass
LastPass is my personal preference. It has two business pricing options. The Teams plan, which costs $4/mo and includes:
- 50 users or less
- A vault for every user
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Shared folders
- Zero-knowledge security model
- Security Dashboard
- Dark web monitoring
And the Business plan, which costs $6/mo and includes all of the above, plus:
- Unlimited users
- 3 SSO apps with MFA
- LastPass Family plan for employees
- Over 1,200 pre-integrated SSO apps
- Over 100 customizable policies
- Customizable user management
- Advanced SSO & MFA add-ons
Both pricing plans also come with a 14-day free trial.
LastPass also includes a free plan which might be all you need, especially when you’re starting out.
1Password
Unlike other password managers, 1Password does not offer a free plan. However, all paid plans come with a 14-day free trial. There are two business plans, the Business plan which costs $7.99/mo and includes:
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and Chrome OS
- Unlimited shared vaults and item storage
- Admin controls
- Two-factor authentication
- Duo integration for multi-factor authentication
- Secure sensitive information sharing
And lots more exclusive only to the Business plan.
The Teams Starter Pack is ideal for growing businesses of ten employees and above. It costs $19.95/mo and includes the benefits listed above, plus:
- 24/7 email support
- 1 GB of document storage per person
- 5 guest accounts for limited data sharing
The 1Password Watchtower feature also scans the dark web for security breaches. And it has a travel mode that lets you delete sensitive data from your device and lets you restore it at a later date.
Bitwarden
Bitwarden is my third recommendation for a password manager. Although there are two business pricing plans, the Teams Organization plan ($3/mo) and the Enterprise Organization plan ($5/mo), it’s more cost-effective to go with the Personal Premium plan, which costs $10 per year.
You get:
- 1GB of encrypted file storage
- Extra authentication options
- Password generator
- Advanced customer support
Its free plan is just as good as LastPass, except it also offers unlimited device sharing.
LogMeOnce
LogMeOnce is one of the more complex password managers, but it’s still worth considering. There are three pricing plans, Business/Teams for $3/mo, Enterprise for $4/mo, and Identity at $7/mo.
All plans come with a huge range of features, including as standard:
- Multiple logins
- Passwordless logins
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- SAML 2.0
- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Access from unlimited devices
- Security audit trail
- Activity reports
The Business/Teams and Enterprise plans come with a 14-day free trial, but the Identity plan does not. There is a free Premium plan too, which is worth considering.
And if that wasn’t enough, it also allows you to log in on any browser or device via photo, fingerprint, or PIN code.
Choosing a Password Manager for your coaching business.
There is no wrong choice when it comes to any of the above Password Managers:
Last Pass is best if you want lots of features without paying anything.
1Password is best if you are sharing with your family as it offers a high level of protection beyond password security. And it allows you to delete and restore sensitive data at the touch of a button.
Bitwarden is best if you want peace of mind from hacking, as its open code makes it almost impossible to be hacked.
LogMeOnce is best for multiple-platform access, as you can log in on any browser or device via photo, fingerprint, or PIN code.
I know you take your security seriously.
So, I hope this has helped you seriously consider adding a password manager to your online security.
And for more security-related information, make sure you read my article, How to securely give your developer access to your WordPress website.
Thanks for reading.
Jennie
