Nathan Exposed » Mac Users: The Ultimate Password Saver

Mac Users: The Ultimate Password Saver

If you’re a Mac user, you probably know that every password you use in any program on your computer is saved to the Keychain. This utility works universally throughout the system, keeping all over your personal information secure. The Keychain also saves things like your contact information, so you can Auto-fill it with web forms.

The problem I’ve run into is that Safari and Firefox don’t have a way to share this information. I switch back and forth between them for various reasons. But it can get irritating when I have my saved information in one browser, then have to remember it again for the other one.

Well, there’s a cure. A program called 1Password works with your computer’s Keychain to keep all of your information in one place, and the software is password protected for extra security.

It’s actually pretty useful. In addition to keeping all your passwords in one place, it also has advanced phishing tools to alert you if you stumble upon a fake website (which is especially common with eBay and Paypal). If the site’s web address does not match up with the exact address you have on file, the program will refuse to Auto-fill your password. Pretty cool.

Best of all, when I save my information in Safari, I can re-use it in Firefox, and vice versa. The software is compatible with other browsers too, like Camino, OmniWeb, and even the RSS program NetNewsWire.

1Password costs $30 to buy, but here’s a link to a special page where you can sign up for a free user license. They are getting ready to roll out a new version, so they are giving away the current one since it will soon be old news. Not a bad marketing idea. I tried it myself and it’s legitimate.

Let me know if you try it and what you think. So far, I love it.