As the tools hackers use to prey on internet users become more advanced, it’s important to keep up to make sure your accounts are secure. Basic passwords simply won’t cut it anymore, and password retrieval options that allow you to use outside sources like your email to change your password mean that a single compromised password can put your entire identity at risk.

Enterprise password managers are a powerful means to protect your identity, but there are some things you should know to make the most of these types of software.

1. Easy to Remember Passwords Are Also Easy to Exploit

Maintaining your security means using unique passwords for all of your important accounts, but the easier it is to remember, the easier it is to exploit. The availability of important information means that using important names or dates can put you at greater risk, and security experts suggest that your password should be at least 16 characters and combine both lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

An enterprise password manager can help you evaluate the security of your passwords, and they can even automatically generate a highly secure code for you to use.

2. Managers Reduce the Need to Remember Multiple Passwords

When you set a password manager to handle your accounts, it essentially serves as a skeleton key. That means you can retain individual passwords for all of your accounts and make them as complicated as possible while also eliminating the need to remember any of them.

Of course, you’ll want to make your single access key complicated, as it could otherwise give a hacker access to all of the subsidiary accounts, but many managers make this easy by allowing you to simply copy and paste the password whenever you need to use it.

3. Password Managers Work Across Different Platforms

Most users don’t use a single machine to access their information. Chances are that you’ll want to access many of your accounts through a regular computer, a work computer, and a mobile device. Password management software makes this easy. Most of them come with both dedicated mobile and desktop apps, and you can sync your account across all of your devices so you can shift between workstations on the fly. Most also come with plugins to make it more convenient to get into your accounts using your browser without having to open an outside application.

4. They Work Well on Public Machines

Whether you’re looking to check your personal information on a library computer or a friend’s laptop, password managers make it easy. You can either use the web-based version of the software or the phone application to log right into all of your accounts. Just be careful to sign out of all accounts, particularly your manager account, before you leave.

5. Check With Your Company Before Using it at Work

Depending on the protocol your IT team has in place, the password manager you use may or may not be accepted. Check with your supervisors to see if they already have a dedicated password manager in place and if they’ll allow you to install your own software on your office computer.