Passwords are one of the main barriers we have to prevent intruders from entering our accounts and devices. It is very important that we choose the key correctly, that we protect it and that we prevent it from having vulnerabilities. For this we can make use of managers that help us create them and not have to remember them. Now, within the available options we can name the key managers integrated in the browser . Is this safe? Let’s see what are its advantages and disadvantages.
Use the browser as a key manager
As we all know, we can make use of many browsers today. Most of the major ones have built- in password managers . It basically means that they will remember our passwords and we will not have to constantly log into our accounts.
Basically they do the same as a password manager that we have installed on our computer. However, it has certain peculiarities and also brings its benefits and some negative points.
We can name as examples Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox , which are perhaps the two most popular browsers today. We can browse any of them on the computer, log into an account and allow it to store our credentials and passwords. In this way, when we log in to that site again, the browser will remember the password and we will not have to put it again every time we want to enter.
But they not only have the option of storing that password on a computer, let’s say the computer. It also allows us to synchronize them on the network and if we later want to enter from the mobile and have the user started, it would also show us the possibility of logging in without having to remember it.
Advantages of a key manager in the browser
One of the main advantages is that we do not need to install any additional software . This is especially useful when we talk about mobile devices, in which the available memory is sometimes not the best. Therefore, having a key manager in the browser itself can help us reduce this problem.
Another positive point is that we can easily synchronize the keys between devices. This is what we mentioned before, that for example we can log into an account on the computer and later do it on the mobile and we would not need to remember the password or have to log in again.
They are free key managers . At our disposal we have payment options that it is true that they can have different functions integrated, but for daily use those that are integrated in the browser and are free can be used.
Our passwords are secure and properly encrypted. Browsers use appropriate encryption methods to protect us.
Disadvantages of a password manager in the browser
But it also has its negative points and one of them is that we may not use the same browser on all our devices. Maybe on the computer we use one that we like the most, but then on the mobile we use another that works better on this type of device.
Another drawback is that they do not have advanced functions . All the configuration is basic and they do not offer us alternative functions that may be interesting for some users. It is a basic and simple option, without more.
They also do not have the ability to share password . This is something that is present in many other key managers that we can use in our day to day. For example if we want to share a password with a friend or family member.
As for security , a major problem is if someone had access to our device or even if we lose the mobile and it is not protected. They could easily log into our accounts and access our information.
In short, making use of password managers in the browser can be something interesting, but as we have seen it has its positive and negative points. Our advice is always to protect the keys correctly and to choose well how to manage them.