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4 Outstanding Tools to Help You Manage Your Passwords

By , About.com Guide

Many users today need to remember many passwords: their eBay login, their Gmail login, their bank login, and so on. Typing them out can becoming annoying, and even worse: hacker keylogger software can secretly record you typing your passwords. But there are tools that can help make passwords much more convenient and more hacker proof.

1. RoboForm Toolbar

RoboForm handles not only your passwords, but can also save the most common data values for when you join an online service:  first and last name, mailing address, zip/postal code, phone number.  You can create different alter ego profiles, too, so that you can test drive online services without divulging your real identity.

RoboForm toolbar is very popular, and the price is right.  If you plan on surfing the internet regularly, definitely consider trying RoboForm.

2. 1Password

This tool is a recommendation by About.com Web Design Guide, Jennifer Kyrnin.  1Password is a drag-and-drop/single-click utility that acts like a speed dialer for your passwords.  You ask 1Password to create complex passwords for each of your logins, then you simply click the 1Password window to type in those login details for you.

1Password is free for 30 days, and if you're like most people, you'll want to spend the 30 dollars to purchase it.  Definitely give 1Password a try.

3. KeePass Password Safe

KeePass is an open source and certified free product that many readers recommend. Like other password utilities, KeePass acts like a type of vault, with your many pre-typed password stored inside, and you holding the master password to access it. What separates KeePass is its minimal memory footprint and OSI certification. KeePass is one of the most reliable password tools available today.

4. KeyWallet Software: a Drag-and-Drop Tool for Typing Passwords

This tool is really slick.  Instead of typing out those long annoying passwords, you can use KeyWallet to simply mouse drag-and-drop your password into the login screen.  Your passwords become mouse gestures instead of key taps. You secure your multiple passwords with a master password. As long as you use just that one computer, keylogger hacker software cannot see your password characters, as they are now exclusively mouse motions. Definitely worth trying, and the price is perfect.

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