Technologies

Yes, You Really Need a Password Manager. Here’s How to Set One Up Today

A password manager is simple to set up and use, and it’s one of the best ways to boost your online security.

If you received an online subscription for the holidays, make sure you give it a strong password to keep your information and subscription safe. Ideally, each individual password you create should be at least eight characters in length and consist of capital and lowercase letters as well as numbers and symbols. (Sorry, using «password123» for everything isn’t going to cut it.) It may be tempting, but using one easy-to-remember code across all of your accounts can seriously jeopardize your online security — you don’t want to make yourself an easy target for cybercriminals. In fact, recent research by cybersecurity firm Hive Systems has suggested that a weak password can be cracked instantly by a hacker.

Password managers are vital tools that can help you stay safe online and be more digitally secure by simplifying the process of using strong passwords. And they’re easier to use than you may think. Even so, four out of five American adults don’t use a password manager, according to a study from Security.org.

Here’s why you need a password manager and how to set one up.

What is a password manager, and why do I need one?

A password manager is an online service that stores your passwords as well as other data like credit card numbers, bank account information and identification documents in a secure, encrypted environment. It takes one of the biggest potential vulnerabilities — weak or recycled passwords — and does the hard work for you.

Bad password habits are dangerous for your digital security. Using weak passwords makes your accounts easy to crack, and reusing passwords leaves you open to credential stuffing attacks that can compromise accounts that share the same password.

But with a password manager, you only have to remember one single master password, and the password manager takes care of the rest — allowing you to create strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. If you’re not sure how to create a strong password, or if you don’t want to come up with one on your own, your password manager can create one for you. Many password managers also include a feature that analyzes your current passwords and lets you know which ones are weak or reused and need to be changed.

You can also securely share passwords and sensitive documents with family and friends if you need to. And if you’re shopping online, you can easily fill in your credit card information to make purchases without needing to have your physical credit card on hand.

Your password manager can also help you fight against phishing scams. Even if a phishing attempt tricks you into clicking on a malicious link, it won’t trick the password manager. Your password manager will detect that the URL is different than the site you usually log into — regardless of how similar it may look to the naked eye.

If you’re worried about storing all sorts of sensitive information in one place, you don’t need to be. The top password managers use a zero-knowledge approach to securing your passwords and other information you store with them — meaning that even the password manager itself can’t access your passwords or other data, because everything is encrypted before it leaves your device. And if your password manager can’t access your data, then neither can anyone else.

How to set up a password manager

The first thing you’ll need to do is choose a password manager and set up an account (CNET’s list of top password managers is a great place to start). Some password managers have a free tier that usually includes all the basic features you’d need, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $60 per year for a premium plan that includes things like access across multiple devices, expanded file storage and family sharing.

As you set up your account, you’ll be asked to create a master password. This is the one password that you have to remember — make sure it’s something you can recall, yet complex enough to make it difficult for others to guess. Also, make sure your master password isn’t one of your existing passwords you’re already using on other sites. Some password managers, like 1Password, offer a printable «emergency kit» that includes information like your username and digital key and where you can write down your master password. Yes, you can write down your password, just make sure to keep the piece of paper locked in a secure location.

We really can’t stress this part enough: Don’t forget or lose your master password or your emergency kit because, as a security precaution, password managers don’t typically offer a way to recover it. If you’re locked out, there’s no way back in.

Once you’re all set up with your account and master password, you can download the software to your devices. Typically, you’ll be prompted to download the app that corresponds to the operating system you’re using when you set up your account (iOS, Android, Windows or MacOS). You can also find download links on your password manager’s website for any other devices you may want to use your password manager on. If your password manager offers a browser extension, go ahead and install it — it will make autofilling your passwords on sites much easier.

After that, you’ll need to add your passwords to the password manager. Most password managers offer easy ways to import your passwords from various locations, whether that’s your browser, a spreadsheet or another password manager. You can also input your passwords manually.

Once you’ve got your passwords loaded into your password manager, you’re good to go. As long as you’re logged into your password manager, it will offer to fill in your login information as you visit the sites and services you use online. It will also offer to save new, secure login credentials on new accounts you create — ultimately saving you from putting your online security in peril.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for July 5, #1477

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for July 5, No. 1,477.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a pretty tough one. I grew up on a farm, so I know the word, but I didn’t put it together right away, even though the letters are common ones. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

There is are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter B.

Wordle hint No. 4: Down on the farm

Today’s Wordle answer describes a piece of farm equipment.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to a machine for making paper, hay, or cotton into bales.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is BALER.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, July 4, No. 1476 was CURVE.

Recent Wordle answers

June 30, No. 1472: BLINK

July 1, No. 1473: MOLDY

July 2, No. 1474: INCUR

July 3, No. 1475: POPPY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 5, #489

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 5, No. 489.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

The theme of today’s NYT Strands puzzle isn’t terribly tough, but at least one of the words is unusual and really, really long to unscramble. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Every second counts.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Does anybody really know what time it is?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

DIAL, SOLE, MOLE, MOLES, SHAKE, CHEEP, ROLE, HOME, LOCK, MEAT, TAME, TAMES, ROLES, ROON, TRON

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

CLOCK, WATCH, SUNDIAL, HOURGLASS, CHRONOMETER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is TIMEKEEPERS. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.

Technologies

Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here’s What You Need to Do to Prepare

Microsoft Authenticator has already stopped autofilling passwords, but the biggest change comes next month.

In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition.

Attila Tomaschek, CNET’s software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNET.

«Passwords can be cracked, whereas passkeys need both the public and the locally stored private key to authenticate users, which can help mitigate risks like falling victim to phishing and brute-force or credential-stuffing attacks,» Tomaschek said.

Using the same password for several accounts or adding personal hints can be a convenient way to remember your login. But that puts you at a big risk for scammers, identity theft and fraud. Here’s more on Microsoft’s plan for eliminating passwords and how to make the switch to passkeys before August.

When will Microsoft Authenticator stop supporting passwords?

Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and lets you sign into all your Microsoft accounts using a PIN, facial recognition like Windows Hello, or other biometric data like a fingerprint. Authenticator can be used in other ways, such as verifying you’re logging in if you forgot your password, or using two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security for your accounts. In June, the company stopped letting users add passwords to Authenticator, but here’s a timeline of other changes you can expect from Microsoft.

July 2025: You won’t be able to use the autofill password function.
August 2025: You’ll no longer be able to use saved passwords.

If you still want to use passwords instead of passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting passkeys during this transition. «Passkeys use public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than relying on users themselves creating their own (often weak or reused) passwords to access their online accounts,» Tomaschek said.

Why are passkeys a better alternative to passwords?

So what exactly is a passkey? It’s a credential created by the Fast Identity Online Alliance that uses biometric data or a PIN to verify your identity and access your account. Think about using your fingerprint or Face ID to log into your account. That’s generally safer than using a password that is easy to guess or susceptible to a phishing attack.

Passkeys aren’t stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they’re stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this takes the guesswork out of remembering your passwords and the need for a password manager.

How to set up a passkey in Microsoft Authenticator

Microsoft said in a May 1 blog post that it will automatically detect the best passkey to set up and make that your default sign-in option. «If you have a password and ‘one-time code’ set up on your account, we’ll prompt you to sign in with your one-time code instead of your password. After you’re signed in, you’ll be prompted to enroll a passkey. Then the next time you sign in, you’ll be prompted to sign in with your passkey,» according to the blog post.

To set up a new passkey, open your Authenticator app on your phone. Tap on your account and select «Set up a passkey.» You’ll be prompted to log in with your existing credentials. After you’re logged in, you can set up the passkey.