2 Free Digital Tools To Keep Your Digital Secure
It's a pain to set up. But it's totally worth the effort!
I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years. I know for a fact that a whole lot of folks are using the same easy-to-guess password on every single platform.
I get it (it’s nice to know what your PW is for every site you visit). But doing so is asking for trouble.
Today’s tools should help. And look below for a link to a podcast episode where I checked in with a digital security expert who walked us through all of this and more!
Know anyone who might appreciate what we’re doing here? Invite them to join us! As you know, we’re all really nice, and cool, and we all LOVE free digital tools!
Let’s dig in.
LastPass
Tool type: Password Manager
There are a bunch of password managers out there. Any you use is better than none. I personally use LastPass and I like it. But I am NOT telling you to switch from a different one to this one. What I am saying is, if you aren’t using one, YOU SHOULD START!
I’ll be honest — it’s a slog getting things set up. You have to start saving all your passwords and usernames in your account. THEN, you need to start updating all of your passwords to be unique and unguessable.
It’s not a quick thing. But getting hacked SUCKS.
And here’s the thing - if you get hacked, and someone gets your password, and you use the same password for everything, you are truly screwed.
If you have unique passwords for everything, getting hacked means ONLY having someone get access to one account.
Think about how many platforms, websites, apps and tools you log in to. A ton of those aren’t secure. And honestly, most don’t matter.
If someone hacks the database of some random game you play on your phone, worst case scenario they change your username or delete your account. But if you’re using the same password for that unprotected game as your bank… well now you’ve got a problem.
LastPass is a website, a smartphone app, and (most importantly) a browser extension.
Once you’re logged in on your browser, any time you visit any site with login info, you can auto-fill username and password. And when creating new passwords, it will give you a randomly generated password so you know that no one’s guessing it… and so that if the site gets hacked and someone steals that info, the damage is contained to that single site and not your healthcare portal, your credit card or your email.
FREE or FREEmium: FREEmium
LastPass is free to use on one device… but you’re going to need to use it on at least two. Assuming you use both a computer and a smartphone and need access to your info on both.
I personally upgraded to a family plan, meaning my wife and I can both use it on all of our devices, and it’s around $3/month.
Well worth the peace of mind knowing that our passwords are relatively safe.
Google Authenticator
Tool type: App
If you want to keep your accounts secure, you should be using different passwords for every account (as spelled out above) and you should be using 2-factor authentication for anything important.
Google Authenticator is a convenient alternative to 2FA. It’s a free app that adds an extra layer of security by generating time‑sensitive, one‑time codes you enter after your password. Even if someone gets your password, they can’t log in without the code from your phone.
Codes refresh every 30 seconds, and you don’t need internet or cell service for them to work.
Important caveat: Google Authenticator is tied to the specific device it’s installed on. If you replace or reset your phone without migrating your codes, you could lock yourself out of your accounts. Before switching devices, use the app’s export feature (or re‑enable 2FA on each account) to transfer your codes safely.
FREE or FREEmium: FREE
This is a free tool from Google.
A while back, I hosted Hilary Stohs-Krause on my podcast. She’s a senior software engineer at a cybersecurity startup. Needless to say, she had a lot of good advice for helping us keep our accounts secure.
You can find our full conversation here.
If you like Free Digital Tools, you probably know others who will too. Invite them to join us. They’ll appreciate it… as will I! When you refer friends, you can also win free stuff!!
Lock that shit down y’all! For real. It’s a pain to set up — but it’s way better than getting hacked!
See you in a fortnight.
Josh
joshklemons.com