Genealogy Shelter in Place Project 1
Make the most of your genealogy time, now and in the future, with these projects you can do from home. 

Genealogy Shelter in Place Project 1: Use a Password Manager App

This is an ideal time to transfer those fading Post-Its and handwritten passwords to an online application that keeps you safer.

Password managers help you:

  • Be safer on the Web. All of your passwords and other info are stored using military-grade encryption.
  • Keep track of your passwords and automatically login on every website.
  • Generate required safe passwords with upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
  • Make your passwords available only to you, anywhere.
  • Analyze stored passwords that are weak so you can change them.
  • Get alerts to compromised websites so you can change your password.
  • Autofill addresses, phone numbers, and other standard info when requested by a website.
  • Notify you of reused passwords that increase your vulnerability.
  • Store payment information, passport numbers, and other identification using military-grade encryption
  • Some password managers also offer Dark Web monitoring, identity theft protection, and other features.

Password Managers

I have used Dashlane as my password manager for the past seven years. It’s robust, does what it promises, has never failed me, and adds new features at regular intervals.

But, there are many password manager apps. Most have military-grade encryption. So it really is a choice, based first on your preference for the user interface, the ability to sync between your laptop, desktop, and portable devices, and then on price.

1Password, Lastpass, and others also compete in this category. For reviews of these apps, I recommend CNET and their article on the best password managers for 2020.

Genealogy Shelter in Place Project 2 available at this link.