Company of One? Here’s How a Password Manager Can Change Your Life as a Freelancer
So many passwords, just one you.
If you’re an independent contractor, it’s a given that you juggle many accounts. Whether you freelance for several companies and need to gain access to their channels or run your own business and use multiple apps, it can be both difficult and a security risk to store passwords outside of a password manager. Or, maybe you don’t store passwords anywhere and instead reuse the same one that’s easy to remember—also a security risk.
Even if your business margins are low, your assets can still be a target for hackers. And if other companies contract you, it’s a good idea to protect their assets as well. That’s why strong, secure passwords generated by a password manager are a must for independent contractors.
Security-wise and sanity-wise, a password manager is essential. Once it’s set up, you can focus more on building your business and less on trying to remember your logins.
Read on for all the ways a password manager can benefit your life as a freelancer or independent contractor.
You’ll never have to remember or reset a password again
A good rule of thumb: If a password is easy to remember, it’s also easy for hackers to guess—and if it’s compromised, all your other accounts that use the same password are also vulnerable. Many of us fall into the trap of using the same password for everything, living in fear of the moment we forget a password and need to reset it. When resetting a password gets in the way of our work, it becomes a source of endless frustration and, for some (me), blind rage.
Dashlane will generate a strong, unique password for each of your accounts and store them securely in one place. You can fully rely on Dashlane to know your passwords and logins for all your accounts across the web and keep them safe from hackers.
Navigating the internet will become a breeze
Consider the multitude of logins you have as a freelancer: Dropbox, Upwork, LinkedIn, Docusign, Square…the list goes on. While it may seem overwhelming to have a different password for every account, trust us: You won’t miss your weak, reused passwords. Dashlane will autofill your logins for all your accounts across the internet (and save them while you browse). Within seconds of navigating to a page, you’ll be logged in, which frees up time in your day to get actual work done.
Take it from Ned Donovan, a former Executive Assistant at Dashlane and a self-described “stereotypical millennial freelancer” who has many jobs. Donovan’s levels of organization transformed when he started using Dashlane:
“My mind was blown at how easy it was to organize and autofill these unique and complex passwords/logins inside the password manager while ensuring they stayed secure. It wasn’t long before I started applying new password safety measures to my freelance/project accounts.”
You can keep your work and personal life separate
As a freelancer or independent contractor, you might find yourself with flexible work hours, which could be a blessing (you get to sleep in late) or a curse (you’re still doing work at all hours of the night). While Dashlane can’t fix your sleep schedule, it does encourage a separation of work-life and, well, life-life.
Dashlane uses Smart Spaces, which allows you to easily toggle between personal and work spaces within your Dashlane account and keep logins separate. (PS, this is your sign that you should use your password manager for personal accounts, too).
Your data will be secure from hackers
One of the top reasons to get a password manager is to keep your information safe from threat actors. If you run a business, you know it’s nearly impossible to avoid storing all your information online. A password is truly the last line of defense between hackers and your sensitive data, including payroll, banking info, and proprietary information for your businesses.
In addition to passwords, Dashlane can store personal and payment info. All of this, plus your logins, are protected with Dashlane’s zero-knowledge architecture, meaning that your info is highly encrypted and accessible only through your approved devices. You will use a strong Master Password to access your account, which is completely private to you—not even Dashlane will know what it is.
Dashlane also allows you to enable Dark Web Monitoring. Just add your email, and Dashlane will scan the dark web for any compromised or leaked credentials. You’ll be notified immediately and prompted to change your passwords if any are spotted.
Plus, in our 10 years as a company, Dashlane has never been hacked, so you can trust that your data is secure.
What’s the phrase… Two heads are better than one? Teamwork makes the dream work? Whatever the adage, the point is that Dashlane makes it possible to securely share logins with other people.
Even if you’re an army of one now, your business might expand, or you might hire an assistant. With Dashlane, you can share items with limited rights through the web browser or app. While the other person will then have access to the account, they won’t actually be able to see the password; instead, it will autofill in their account, and they can’t share it with others.
You can also share two-factor authentication (2FA) codes along with each password. And, if that person no longer works with you, you can easily revoke their access.
Ready to get started? Find the right plan for your business.
Think the company you freelance for should use a password manager? Here’s a step-by-step guide for pitching your boss.
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