With password-related vulnerabilities among the most common cyber-attack vectors in today’s threat landscape, password management tools have become an essential component of any security toolset. In 2022, one of the major password manager providers, LastPass, suffered a breach drawing attention to weaknesses in its security and encryption architecture. In response to this need to be more secure, Proton has developed the Proton Pass password manager, designed to address the shortcomings of some of the existing password management tools and deliver a seamless user experience built with security and privacy at its core.  Proton Pass is currently available in Beta for existing Proton customers. 

What is Proton Pass?

Proton Pass is the latest addition to the Proton suite of security tools, designed to help users securely store and manage their passwords. Proton, a Swiss-based company, is known for providing secure, fully encrypted email services and VPNs. With Proton Pass, they aim to make password management even easier and more secure. 

Like other password managers Proton has recommended in the past, including KeePass, Bitwarden, and Padloc, Proton Pass utilizes end-to-end encryption to ensure that your passwords are stored safely and privately. The encryption keys used in this process are generated on the client-side device using your password, so Proton cannot decrypt your data even if requested by a third party. Proton Pass also includes two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security. 

(Learn more about how to use safely manage passwords here.) 

What Makes Proton Pass a Secure Password Manager?

Proton Pass stands out from many other password managers for three main reasons: 

  • It is open source, so anyone can inspect the code to verify its security. This transparency provides a higher level of trust for users, knowing that the code is available for scrutiny. 
  • Multilevel encryption:  
      • Proton Pass uses end-to-end encryption at its core to secure your data so that only you or others you share data with have the key to decrypt it. No one else, not even Proton can see it. 
      • Proton Pass allows users to create different data vaults for different purposes. One vault can be accessed by you alone, another can be shared with family members for shared accounts like Netflix or home WiFi passwords. When a vault is shared it is encrypted with each user’s key allowing them the access you grant them. 
      • Not only are the vaults encrypted end-to-end but individual items in the vault including logins, notes, aliases, and URLs are also encrypted using an individual item key. This allows users to share individual items with others without sharing the vault key. The lack of all-item encryption was found to be a major defect in LastPass’s encryption architecture and potentially allowed data stored as notes to be leaked. 
  • Proton Pass integrates with the ProtonMail email service and allows users to create email aliases that can be used in place of your real email address for online accounts. So in addition to a unique password for every online account, Proton allows for a unique email user name as well.  This feature not only provides another factor of uniqueness for your login credentials but also allows you to shutdown an alias if the site it is used for is breached or begins sending you spam. 

Conclusion 

Password management is a critical component of your digital security, and Proton Pass is now a major player in this space by providing a straightforward solution. With its open-source code, end-to-end encryption and integration with Proton’s existing secure email and VPN services, Proton Pass gives users enhanced transparency and security. For more ways to decrease your cyber risk, visit Agio’s cybersecurity services. 

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