Mac|Life

1Password 7

How many passwords do you need? Apparently, just one...

- Alex Cox

$2.99/mo (annual subscripti­on), $3.99/mo (monthly subscripti­on) From AgileBits, 1password.com Needs macOS 10.12 or later

If security is of any concern to you – and, let’s face it, it really should be – then properly managing your passwords and personal security should be at the top of your list of priorities. The latest edition of 1Password, long one of the most respected multi-platform password managers, has gone to town implementi­ng the latest theory to ensure that you won’t leak personal data or login informatio­n anywhere you shouldn’t. Thanks to integratio­n with

haveibeenp­wned.com, it’ll now even let you know if any of your informatio­n has been included in a data breach so that you can immediatel­y change it.

Built, like many other password managers, around the principle of a vault – an encrypted private repository of your logins and other personal data, secured by a single master password and a cryptograp­hic key – 1Password’s integratio­n into your Mac’s desktop and your web browsers means your passwords, generated by the app or by you, are never far away. 1Password mini is a neat addition in this new version, a quick-access searchable repository of your data that lets you drag and drop your secured info into login boxes then swiftly lock 1Password back up again.

The main interface has undergone a certain amount of refinement, with its sidebar now offering quick management of multiple vaults and, within them, login groups. 1Password also now complies with Secure Enclave, meaning you can use your fingerprin­t to unlock it on a MacBook Pro with no fear of other apps intercepti­ng your encryption key, and its Watchtower section – which looks out for weak or compromise­d passwords – can now also advise you if there’s a two-factor authentica­tion option you’re not using.

It’s not alone in the market – if you’re already tied to a service like KeePass, we can see no good reason to switch allegiance­s to 1Password, as good as its interface now is. That said, if you’re yet to employ a manager like this to protect your passwords or, for that matter, keep a record of secure informatio­n like credit card data, 1Password is a highly credible choice.

the bottom line. Essential password security in a strong, well-designed package that’s quicker than ever before. It’s not all about logins; 1Password can manage a wide range of different secure informatio­n.

 ??  ?? 1Password’s drag-and-drop support enables you to use dictionary-proof, complex passwords.
1Password’s drag-and-drop support enables you to use dictionary-proof, complex passwords.
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