How to shop online more safely with 1Password

Shopping online shouldn’t be a source of anxiety. With a few sensible precautions, some old-fashioned common sense, and 1Password at your side, it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few simple tips to make shopping online safer and more convenient.

Use strong, unique passwords wherever you spend money

Using a totally different password for every site you use prevents password reuse attacks. So it’s important to use strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts. If you do reuse passwords, changing them all can seem an overwhelming task. If that’s the case, remember that it’s much better to start with important accounts than to never get round to any at all.

Your finances are important, so make sure you create strong, unique passwords for places you spend money online. If you keep all your logins in 1Password, Watchtower will flag all reused passwords. You should change them all as soon as you can, but make online stores a top priority.

Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible

This is also sound advice for every online account where multi-factor authentication (MFA) is available, but online stores and anywhere else you spend online should be near the top of your list. With MFA enabled, your username and password aren’t enough for an attacker to access your account.

You can use 1Password to create the one-time passwords you need to sign in to sites that support MFA. When you come to sign in, 1Password automatically copies your one-time password to your clipboard for 30 seconds so it’s still quick and easy.

And yep, Watchtower will also flag sites that support MFA, but where you don’t yet have a one-time password set up. You can see a list of online stores that support MFA at 2fa.directory.

Pay quickly and securely

You can use 1Password to save and fill credit card details and other payment information to make online payments quicker and more convenient. If you’re not sure whether to save your payment details with an online store, you can save them in 1Password instead so you know your data is safely encrypted in one place, and only accessible to you. 1Password can fill your card information whenever you need, so you’re not taking a convenience hit by storing your card details in 1Password.

If you prefer to use PayPal or another online payment system, 1Password can safely fill your login information when you’re redirected to the payment site. Crucially, 1Password won’t autofill that information if you’re redirected to a well-disguised imposter site.

Finally, if you live in the United States, you can use Privacy Cards to make online payments more safely and conveniently. Privacy Cards are virtual payment cards that you can create and fill whenever you need to pay online. Each card is locked to one merchant, and you can set spending limits for every card you create, giving you more control and safety in your online payments. Your Privacy Cards are stored in 1Password, right at your fingertips. You’ll need to sign up for a Privacy account if you don’t have one already.