If you're drowning in website logins and constantly using "Forgot My Password" prompts to get into random accounts, a "Log In With Google" or "Log In With Facebook" button can look a lot like a lifeline. The services provide a quick way to continue whatever you're doing without having to set up a whole account and choose a new password to guard it. However, while these "single sign-on" tools are convenient and do offer some security benefits, they're not the panacea you might think. For all it’s convenience, the single sign-on (SSO) has some real drawbacks, too. It creates a single point of failure if something goes wrong. If your password gets stolen from an account you use for SSO, all the other sites you used it to log in with could be exposed. Not only do you have to trust the companies that offer SSO to protect your privacy and security, you also have to trust all the third-party websites offering these options to implement them correctly. If one of your go-to passwords is compromised, credential stuffers and phishers can access all the accounts you secured with that password. The best way to get around that is to use a password manager, which creates strong, secure passwords wherever you need them. One of the best — and it’s free! — is Lastpass. Unlike single sign-on setups, a password manager doesn't require you to rely on multiple random entities across the web. All you have to remember is ONE password — the one for the password manager. A password manager is a one-stop solution that's always helpful, whether a certain site offers SSO or not. The one thing everyone can agree on? Don't reuse passwords………just don't.
