Why to Never Store Passwords in a Browser

There's a lot of good content being posted during National CyberSecurity Awareness Month. If you aren't occasionally searching #CyberAware, you should. That's how I found this image with some excellent advice.

There are many posts on why it is dangerous to store passwords in a browser rather than using a password manager as I keep recommending. Some of them are quite old but still good, which is different from my usual advice in this field of "don't use if it's over a year old." This subject seems to be the exception. Two things haven't changed:

1. It's easy to store passwords in a browser.
2. It's dangerous to store passwords in a browser.

Cybertech consultant Rick Rouse sums up the reasons succinctly and well:

1 – If your computer or mobile device is ever lost or stolen, whoever ends up with possession of it will have immediate and complete access to any online accounts that you have allowed your browser to store the passwords for.

2 – If a hacker ever takes control of your computer remotely over the Internet, he/she will have immediate and complete access to your online accounts if their passwords have been stored. And trust me, this happens all the time.

3 – Storing your passwords will make your accounts vulnerable to roommates, family members, and visitors who like to snoop around on your computer when you aren’t around.

Aren't those reasons sufficient to convince you either write them down or--as I keep recommending--use a password manager!

Stay Safe!