Why humans remain the prime target
Most incidents begin with a distracted click or a reused password. Adopt safer habits by:
- Generating long, unique passwords with password.es.
- Enabling multi-factor authentication for every critical account.
- Reviewing the security dashboard of your manager each week.
Inside the security dashboard
The Security dashboard (sometimes called “Password health”) analyses your vault and classifies passwords by:
- Strength: detects short or predictable combinations.
- Re-use: warns when the same password appears across multiple services.
- Age: flags credentials older than 12 months for a review.
- Exposure: cross-checks your accounts against known breaches and Dark Web dumps.
Many managers allow one-click fixes: they suggest a new password, update the record and sync it to every device instantly.
How weak passwords are detected
Password managers use scoring models such as zxcvbn, dictionaries of leaked passwords and entropy calculations to estimate resistance against brute-force attacks. Some supplement this with behaviour analytics to identify credentials that change too rarely or that closely match personal data.
Common scams to watch out for
Attackers rely on your trust. Keep an eye on these social engineering techniques:
- Phishing: emails mimicking banks or SaaS providers to steal your login details. Inspect the URL, sender domain and TLS certificate before entering data.
- Smishing: text messages claiming an urgent delivery or account issue. Avoid shortened links and confirm the request via official channels.
- Vishing: phone calls from fake support agents asking for MFA codes or remote access. No legitimate company requests your password by phone.
- Baiting & quishing: malicious USB drives or QR codes luring you to fraudulent sites. Scan only from trusted sources.
Daily routines for healthier security
- Check the security dashboard weekly and tackle high-risk entries first.
- Schedule quarterly reviews for banking, email and work accounts.
- Use unique answers or passphrases for security questions.
- Store recovery codes offline in a secure location.
- Enable breach monitoring notifications to react fast to leaks.
Quick answers for long-tail searches
Which passwords should I rotate first?
Focus on those labelled high risk: reused, weak or present in a recent breach. Prioritise accounts that hold financial data, email or admin access.
Does MFA make the dashboard redundant?
No. MFA reduces the impact of stolen passwords, but dashboards ensure that a compromised password isn’t reused elsewhere.
How can I avoid phishing, smishing and similar attacks?
Double-check URLs, type the address manually, avoid clicking links in unexpected messages and use browser anti-phishing protection. When in doubt, contact the company through its official website.
Safer habits checklist
- Create unique passwords with password.es and store them in a zero-knowledge manager.
- Use the Security dashboard to remediate weak, reused or breached passwords.
- Enable breach and Dark Web monitoring alerts.
- Never share credentials via phone, SMS or email without verifying the request.
- Keep browsers, password managers and operating systems updated.
Disclaimer
password.es is provided “as is”. We do not guarantee service availability, information accuracy or the security of generated passwords. You remain responsible for how you use the tool and for managing your own security.