If you have dozens of passwords for just as many accounts, you may have looked into using a password manager such as Dashlane. Password managers can be instrumental because they generate very secure passwords for you, they store them for you, and then, using a single master password, you can access all of your accounts.
For the most part, these password managers are very secure, thanks to all their security features. That said, even the best password managers are still vulnerable.
There are good and not-so-good password managers, with the best of the best being as secure as a Swiss bank vault. However, even Swiss banks get robbed. So, what happens or what should you do if somebody hacked into your password manager?
Steps to Take if Your Password Manager was Hacked
We pray that your password manager never gets hacked, but it can happen. So, what should you do if this worst-case scenario comes to pass?
1. Change Your Passwords Immediately
The first thing you should do if your password manager gets hacked is to change all your passwords. You should do this on three fronts.
First off, go to your individual accounts, whether a bank or social media and manually change your passwords so they are no longer the same as those stored in the password manager. This way, even with the password manager’s passwords, a crook won’t be able to cause further damage.
Second, when you are confident that the security breach or incident is over, go into your password manager and randomly generate new passwords using the password generator. Then change the master password. Simply put, everything needs to be changed immediately.
2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication
The next step is to enable two-factor authentication. You will be sent a specific code to your email or to your phone via text when you log into an account. To log in, not only do you need your password, but also the code that was sent to you.
It’s an extra line of defense that a crook cannot get past unless they also have access to your phone or email. For the record, phone text authentication is the better way to go.
It’s just an extra layer of security. While it may not have prevented the initial security breach and may not prevent the password manager from being hacked again, it can prevent crooks from using your information.
3. Contact All Relevant Parties – Banks and More
Analyze your accounts to see if any changes have been made and if somebody managed to get in. First, check your bank accounts and credit cards. You may need to cancel credit and debit cards and have new ones issued.
Contact all relevant parties, particularly ones related to your financials, inform them of the security breach, and make sure that they look for any suspicious activity.
This way, if anybody does get into your bank or credit card account, you and the relevant parties will know about it right away and can then take further action.
4. Contact the Password Manager’s Customer Support
After sorting out the various accounts, contact the customer support team for the password manager itself.
Tell them exactly what happened, what the level of the breach is/was; ask what the password manager team is doing about it, and how it will be prevented from happening again. The customer support team should be able to provide you with additional advice in terms of further steps.
5. Start Using a VPN
One of the best things to ensure that you are never hacked again is to use a VPN or virtual private network. In essence, this lets you use the internet anonymously without anybody being able to track you. This way, even if a crook gets hold of your password list in the password manager database, they won’t know who those passwords belong to.
6. Find a Better Password Manager
Finally, if all else fails and you no longer feel comfortable, get a new password manager. Read reviews, do your due diligence, and find the best alternative. If your password manager was hacked once, chances are that it could happen again.
Final Thoughts
Although the best password managers are secure, they could still be hacked in some cases. Even the strongest of bunkers can be busted. The most crucial part is how you react and how long it takes you to do so if it happens to you.