How do you manage website passwords? Reusing the same password is risky, but using different passwords for each service is problematic. First, I can’t think of or remember that many passwords… Many of these password management problems should be solved by making full use of macOS’s standard functions.

Common password managers are very powerful

Mac comes standard with a password manager. When you enter a website ID and password in Safari, a dialog appears asking if you want to save the password.

You are[പാസ്‌വേഡ് സംരക്ഷിക്കുക]If selected, your ID and password will be saved in the macOS standard password management function, and when you access the website at a later date, the ID and password entry fields will be automatically entered.

Also, when setting a new password for membership registration, Safari has a function that automatically generates a password.

Since a very complex password is generated, the possibility of analyzing the password using a “brute force attack” etc. is very low.

For websites that require you to enter an ID and password, a confirmation dialog will appear as shown in the image after entering. Choose Save Password to save your password on your Mac

When you later log into the website, a pop-up menu will appear near the password entry field, and selecting it will automatically enter the password.

If you have a Mac that can use Touch ID, you can set it to require fingerprint authentication to enter your login password. You can prevent the danger of being logged in without permission when you take your eyes off your Mac.

On screens such as member registration, you can use the automatic password generation function. Of course, you can decide for yourself without using the automatic generation function.

Don’t forget website passwords

Saved passwords can be found in the “Passwords” panel in “System Preferences” in Monterey and later operating systems.

When you open the password panel with your Mac login password or Touch ID, you can check the IDs and passwords for each website and modify or delete them if necessary.

In this way, if you remember only the login password on Mac, it is not a problem if you forget the password of each website. No need to struggle to remember or write down multiple passwords.

For Monterey and earlier operating systems,[യൂട്ടിലിറ്റീസ്]in the folder[കീചെയിൻ ആക്‌സസ്]You can check the saved password using the software.

Keychain Access exists in Monterey, but if you’re looking for passwords, System Preferences > Passwords is a cleaner interface.

Whenever you open the password panel, you will be asked to enter your login password or unlock with Touch ID.

When you select a website from the left side, information such as username, password and last modified date will be displayed on the right side.

The password part is a black circle, but is displayed when the pointer is overlaid

Monterey also has “keychain access.” In addition to passwords, you can check saved credit card information and save “secret notes.”

If you open Safari’s Preferences and select Passwords, you can check passwords in the same way as the Passwords panel in System Preferences.

Balancing security and convenience with a multitude of functions

The Mac standard password management function has a variety of useful functions other than checking passwords. Here, we present four representative examples.

The first is a function that warns about dangerous passwords. Alerts and tells you when a user’s password is the same or similar to a known leaked password, or has an easily guessed password or “reused password” that overlaps across multiple websites.

We recommend opening the Passwords pane of System Preferences and changing passwords that display these warnings as soon as possible.

If you set a simple password that is easy to guess, you will see this warning.Also, it warns about passwords that are suspected to be leaked.

The second feature is the ability to send passwords via AirDrop. For example, if you want to transfer the password information of a certain website to your family, you can transfer it directly using AirDrop without using email or SMS.

In System Preferences[പാസ്‌വേഡുകൾ]From the panel or in Safari[മുൻഗണനകൾ]in the[പാസ്‌വേഡുകൾ]Select the above[എയർഡ്രോപ്പ് വഴി പങ്കിടുക]You can send it by clicking on the menu.

Also, since the password obtained by this method is stored directly in the password information managed on the Apple device, it is convenient for the user to easily log in without copying and pasting it and entering the password manually.

Passwords can be seamlessly transferred not only between family members, but also when one uses multiple Apple devices (even if they don’t use the same Apple ID).

You can send your password via AirDrop by pressing the Share via AirDrop button next to the Edit button. However, you cannot send it to someone who is not registered in your “Contacts”.

Add AirDrop passwords directly to the password database on the receiving device

You can also easily copy the password. Although there are security issues, it is not impossible to send the copied password to someone through other means like SNS.

The third is a function that even controls “verification codes” on websites that authenticate using “time-based one-time passwords (TOTP)”.

Some websites use two-factor authentication with a verification code that is valid for a limited time to make it more secure.

In such cases, we used to use software like “Google Authenticator” to manage one-time passwords, but with Monterey, you can manage them using only the functions of the OS without using other software.

A QR code is used when using a one-time password (TOTP). After displaying the QR code in Safari on Mac,[Control]Open the context menu with the key + by clicking[പരിശോധിച്ചുറപ്പിക്കൽ കോഡ് സജ്ജമാക്കുക]Choose

After that, if you proceed according to the dialog, to the corresponding password[സ്ഥിരീകരണ കോഡ്]If you are asked to enter a verification code, copy and paste it.

The fourth feature is the ability to read and write passwords. You can read CSV format data exported from third-party password management software, etc. or write it as a CSV format file.

To read/export passwords, in System Preferences[പാസ്‌വേഡുകൾ]Open the panel at the bottom of the window[…]Select Menu. Even those who manage passwords with other software can easily migrate information.

At the bottom left of the window[…]When the button is pressed, the items for reading and writing passwords will be displayed. If you select export, the file will be in CSV format.

Sync passwords across multiple devices

In addition to these convenient functions, the macOS standard password management function is also attractive because it can synchronize information between multiple Apple devices.

of system preferences[Apple ID]In the panel[iCloud]You from settings[കീചെയിൻ]If enabled, you can auto-fill passwords on all devices like other Macs, iPhones, and iPads.

This is very convenient as you don’t have to remember any website passwords not only on your Mac but also on your other devices.

However, it is important to note that the iCloud account must be set up with “Two-Factor Authentication”.

I won’t go into detail here, but 2-factor authentication is effective in protecting your iCloud account, so be sure to set it up.

By the way, passwords managed by the Mac standard password management function can be synchronized with a Windows PC. Apple provides a tool called “iCloud for Windows” by installing which you can check password on Windows.

Also, if you install a function extension for the Windows version of “Microsoft Edge” or “Google Chrome” in iCloud for Windows, you can automatically enter passwords in those web browsers.

Sync passwords in the Apple ID panel, not in the Passwords item. Check out “Keychain”.

“iCloud for Windows” is published in the Microsoft Store. The download is free

You can download extensions for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome from iCloud for Windows. Please note that these extensions are for Windows and not available for Mac versions of Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome.

If you sometimes use products other than Apple products……

As I have explained so far, there is no doubt that macOS’s standard password management function is really powerful, but it is based on the assumption that you are using an Apple device or Apple software.

Auto-generated passwords can be especially annoying if you use an Android device in addition to an Apple device, or if you often use web browsers other than Safari on your Mac.

This is because web browsers other than Android and Safari don’t automatically enter long and complex passwords, so you have to send and enter them one by one.

Therefore, it is better for such users to use the password management function of macOS, but not to use the automatic password generation function.

Alternatively, I think it’s better to decide your own passwords only for the websites you use frequently, and leave the passwords for the websites you use infrequently to be automatically generated.

Now that security risks are on the rise, it’s natural to do password management right, but it’s also important to do it “comfortably” so it can last for a long time.