Hot take: Password managers aren't for everyone and here's why

Last month my dad called me panicked because he forgot his master password for Bitwarden and couldn't get into any of his accounts. He had over 50 logins saved in there and had to reset every single one manually. I always thought password managers were the gold standard for security but after spending 4 hours helping him recover everything I'm not so sure. My dad is 68 and works part time at a hardware store in Toledo, he just couldn't keep track of one more password. So is a password manager really better than a simple notebook kept in a locked drawer for some people? What do you all think?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_james2mo ago

The real issue here is that nobody talks about what happens when the person managing the passwords dies or gets sick. A notebook in a drawer is way easier for a spouse or kid to find than a digital vault nobody else can access.

william_carter2mo ago

My buddy Dave had a stroke last year and his wife spent three weeks trying to get into his banking apps. The paper list taped inside his desk drawer would've saved her a lot of headaches.

stella_murray15d ago

Three weeks trying to get into banking? That's insane. Guess @the_james has a point though.

drew_park15d ago

Have you guys ever thought about how paper backups would actually work in a situation like that? A list in a drawer is fine if the person lives alone and the drawer is obvious. But if the spouse or kid has to guess which drawer or which notebook, it's not much better than a password vault. @william_carter's story about Dave's wife is exactly why everyone should test this stuff now, not later. Pick one drawer, put one big envelope with account numbers and passwords, and tell your family exactly where it is. Then update it every few months when you change a password.