With the convenience of web browsers remembering our passwords, it’s tempting to let them handle our login credentials. However, when it comes to certain accounts, it’s crucial to be cautious and not allow your browser to remember the passwords. In this article, we will explore four types of accounts that you should never let your browser remember passwords for: online stores, bank accounts, social media platforms, and webmail accounts.
Online Stores
Online shopping has become increasingly popular, and with it comes the need to protect our financial information. When you make purchases on online stores, you often provide your credit card details or link your accounts for seamless transactions. Allowing your browser to remember passwords for these accounts can be risky. If someone gains access to your browser or device, they could easily access your online store accounts and make unauthorized purchases.
Bank Accounts
Bank accounts hold our hard-earned money and sensitive financial information. Allowing your browser to remember passwords for bank accounts is a significant security risk. If someone gains access to your browser, they could potentially access your bank accounts, perform unauthorized transactions, or even steal your identity.
Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms have become an integral part of our lives. We share personal information, photos, and connect with friends and family. Allowing your browser to remember passwords for social media accounts can have severe consequences if someone gains unauthorized access. Hackers can impersonate you, post harmful content, or even gain access to your personal messages.
4 Webmail Accounts
Webmail accounts, such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Outlook, contain a wealth of personal and sensitive information. These accounts often serve as a gateway to other online services, as password reset emails are typically sent to your webmail account. Allowing your browser to remember passwords for webmail accounts can jeopardize your privacy and security. If someone gains access to your browser, they can read your emails, access your personal conversations, and potentially use your account to send malicious emails.
BONUS
It’s important to note that while deleting passwords from your browser is a crucial step, it’s equally important to create strong and unique passwords for each account. Avoid reusing passwords across different platforms, as this can expose you to credential-stuffing attacks. If one account gets compromised, all other accounts with the same password become vulnerable.
In addition to deleting passwords and using unique ones, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security. 2FA/MFA requires an additional verification step, such as a unique code sent to your mobile device, along with your password. This ensures that even if someone obtains your password, they would still need the second factor of authentication to access your account.
