RoboForm? What is that? First, let’s get real! Do you know how many usernames and passwords you have? How do you keep up with the changes, is your information actually secure, and how do you remember them without using the same password somewhere else?
The more we do online, the more passwords we seem to collect. Email accounts, social media, online shopping, banking, subscriptions, work systems, apps, and other services can each require their own login information. Using the same password everywhere may make things easier to remember, but it can also create security issues, especially if that password is ever compromised.
A password manager provides one way to organize and manage those passwords. RoboForm is a password management program designed to save, organize, fill in, and even generate passwords while providing additional tools for managing your online account security.
So let’s explore the various areas RoboForm supports you and what those features can do to make online life easier, more secure for your peace of mind.
Password Creation and Management
One of the challenges of protecting online accounts is creating strong passwords without having to remember every one of them. For instance, how would you remember a password such as 91hUT*gh32op56? Now imagine having a different complicated password for each one of your accounts. Do you have any idea how many passwords that would be? Personally, I’ve had as many as 10 printed pages of usernames and passwords! It was a nightmare…
One of the more valuable features of RoboForm, in my estimation, is a password generator that can create passwords for you. Then once a login is stored in your RoboForm account, the program can fill the appropriate username and password when you return to the website. This enables you to use different passwords for different accounts without depending entirely on your memory.
RoboForm can also store unlimited passwords, fill online forms, maintain a password-change history, manage bookmarks and SafeNotes, and import or export information. If you already have passwords stored in a browser or another password manager, RoboForm provides options for importing existing passwords rather than requiring you to begin completely from scratch making the transition to the password manager considerably easier.
Access Your Passwords Across Your Devices
Today, most people don’t access the Internet from only one computer. You may use a desktop computer for business, a laptop when relaxing or traveling, and/or a smartphone or tablet throughout the day. RoboForm is designed to work across multiple platforms so your password-management system can move with you.
Depending upon the RoboForm plan and configuration you use, your information can be synchronized and accessed across supported devices. RoboForm supports major computer and mobile platforms and works with major web browsers. That means you don’t have to keep a password list for your computer, one for your laptop, and still another for your phone. It alleviates the necessity of carrying a hardcopy with you, which makes your information vulnerable when traveling. This is especially useful for people who regularly move between personal and business devices or who simply want access to their logins while away from their primary computer.
Manage the Security of Your Passwords
Remembering passwords is only part of password management. Another consideration is whether the passwords you’re already using are putting your accounts at unnecessary risk.
RoboForm includes a Security Center that evaluates saved passwords and helps identify potential problems. For example, some issues that can weaken your system security are:
- Weak passwords
- Passwords you have reused
- Duplicate login information
- Passwords that may have been compromised
The Security Center also provides a Security Score based on the condition of your saved passwords. Why does that matter? Well, just suppose you’ve used the same password for several accounts. If that password becomes exposed through any one of the services you use, the other accounts using the same password could also become vulnerable.
A password manager can help identify repetitive passwords so you can replace them with different, possibly more complex ones.
Data Breach Monitoring
Online security isn’t limited to what happens on your own computer. Companies and online services can experience data breaches that expose information belonging to their users. Have you ever received a notification from one of your services advising you of a data breach and the steps they are taking to thwart further incidents? Data breaches and notifications are becoming more common as hackers become more proficient, more sophisticated.
RoboForm provides Data Breach Monitoring that allows users to monitor email addresses for appearances in known data breaches. So when information associated with a monitored email address is detected, RoboForm can provide information about the breach, the types of information involved, and actions that may help you secure the affected accounts.
This gives you another way to keep an eye on your online information rather than waiting until you discover a problem yourself.
More Than a Password: Two-Factor Authentication and Passkeys
Online security continues to change. You’ve probably encountered websites that require more than a username and password. You may be asked to enter a temporary verification code, a pin, a passkey, approve a login on another device, use your fingerprint, or use another method to confirm that you really are the person attempting to access the account.
RoboForm supports several forms of two-factor authentication (2FA), including authenticator applications, passkeys, trusted devices, hardware security keys, email, and SMS. It also includes an integrated Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) authenticator that can generate the temporary authentication codes required by compatible online services.
Newer technology includes passkey use. A passkey allows its user to authenticate themself without relying solely on a traditional password. This is another feature of RoboForm: passkey management and Passwordless Unlock options that can work with verification methods such as a fingerprint, facial recognition, or a device PIN on supported devices.
You don’t need to become a security expert to use these technologies. The purpose is simply to provide additional ways to verify that the person requesting access is actually you–an extremely valuable feature. I have found some of the verification methods to be burdensome on occasion, like when I’m in a hurry, until I stop myself and remember how these are safeguarding my identity.
Secure Sharing When Someone Else Needs Access
From time to time there are legitimate situations when another person needs access to an account. Some situations are:
- Families may share certain household accounts or may not have shared accounts when access becomes necessary.
- Business owners may have services that authorized employees need to use.
- A trusted friend is asked to get information off a computer.
Writing a password on a piece of paper, putting it in an unprotected file, or repeatedly sending it or handing it to someone creates a security concern. RoboForm provides secure sharing tools that allow selected passwords or folders to be shared with another RoboForm user. This allows users to decide the information to be shared with someone rather than handing access to all of the passwords.
Emergency Access
What’s another password-management question people may not think about until needed? What happens if you can’t access your accounts yourself?
RoboForm provides an Emergency Access feature that allows a user to specify one or more trusted RoboForm users to receive access to RoboForm data under specified circumstances. A waiting period can be established before the emergency access is granted. Likewise the access can be revoked when appropriate. This can be useful in situations such as incapacity, emergencies, account recovery, or the need for a trusted person to obtain important information when the account owner cannot provide it.
Password Management for Families
Password management may not be limited to one person. Families may want an option for each member to have an account instead of giving unfettered access to everyone else’s passwords. RoboForm offers a family option providing up to five separate Premium accounts. Each family member can then determine which individual passwords or folders to share.
This feature can be helpful for households managing shared services while allowing each family member to maintain privacy within their own account.
RoboForm for Business Purposes
Password management can be even more complicated in a business setting.
Employees may need access to company websites, software platforms, online services, administrative accounts, marketing systems, financial systems, and other resources to perform delegated duties. At the same time, businesses need to consider who should have access to specific credentials and what happens when an employee’s responsibilities change, the employee leaves the organization, or more importantly, is terminated.
RoboForm for Business expands password management beyond individual password storage.
The business features include separate personal and work password vaults, centralized administration, secure password sharing, role-based access controls, security policies, reporting and auditing, breach monitoring, and tools for managing employee access. So businesses can provide authorized access to needed files and passwords while maintaining greater control over how those credentials are managed.
For larger organizations, RoboForm offers capabilities such as Single Sign-On (SSO) integration and automated user provisioning. This enables the maintenance (creation, update, or deletion) of user account access and rights across an organization’s IT Systems and applications. This can eliminate some manual account-management tasks while helping organizations provide or remove employee access as needed.
However, not every individual or small business will need those advanced capabilities. It’s important to know that RoboForm offers different levels of password management depending upon the situation and the extent of the protection and security needed.
But What If My Browser Already Saves My Passwords?
Fair question. Modern browsers can save passwords, and that may be enough functionality for some users. A dedicated password manager such as RoboForm, however, delivers a single system with additional password-management and security features.
Furthermore, depending upon the RoboForm plan, those features can include cross-device access, password auditing, compromised-password monitoring, data breach monitoring, secure sharing, emergency access, an integrated authenticator, passkey management, and additional security controls.
So the question isn’t whether your browser can save a password. The better question is “What do you need your password-management system to do?“
If you maintain only a small number of accounts and primarily use one device and browser, your needs may be relatively simple. But if you use more than one device and use various browsers, maintain numerous personal or business accounts, share authorized credentials with others, or want additional tools for monitoring password security, a dedicated password manager may provide benefits worth exploring and consideration.
You Can Choose the RoboForm Option(s) That Fit Your Needs
RoboForm offers different options for different users:
- RoboForm Free: Provides basic password-management capabilities for someone who wants to explore the system or just wants basic protection.
- RoboForm Premium: Adds capabilities for an individual who feels more access and a broader range of features are a fit.
- RoboForm Family: Provides Premium accounts for up to five family members.
- RoboForm Business: Adds administrative, access-management, reporting, sharing, and security capabilities intended for organizations (communication across platforms or software).
Features and pricing can change, so review RoboForm’s current plan information when deciding which option fits your needs.
Is RoboForm Worth Exploring?
Whether you access the Internet occasionally or frequently, for personal use or business, passwords have become part of everyday online activity. For security reasons, those passwords should not be repeated on multiple accounts. And if you shop online, maintain multiple email accounts, use social media, conduct business online, work with cryptocurrency or blockchain services, you have even more passwords. In any event, you generally end up with more passwords than you want to remember. So a password manager is one option worth considering.
RoboForm combines password generation, storage, autofill, security monitoring, cross-device access, authentication tools, secure sharing, and other features within one password-management system.
RoboForm is the password-management option we recommend at 4e52.com.
You don’t have to take our word for it. Explore the features, compare the available options, and decide whether RoboForm provides the password-management tools and options you need.
Try RoboForm for FREE and explore the features for yourself.
Besides convenience, password management is worth considering when conducting business online. RoboForm is the system we recommend to users and use with our Performance Blogging System (PBS). What is a Performance Blogging System? See the Details on the PBS Here.