Everyday there are more online services, and your identity dilutes among dozens of sites where your user name and password are needed before they recognize you.

There are a growing list of virtual services that help your manage all your online identities and passwords. It can be your own browser, cloud based vaults, and cross-platform services. Among the most popular we find LastPass and KeePass.

The last to jump into the wagon is a giant in online security. They have realized that not only can viruses and malware become a danger, but also the users’ own memory. Symantec, the company behind the security suite Norton, just released the beta version of their own online identity storage called Norton Identity Safe. Backed up by the trust their users have in them, and the experience in online security, I'm sure soon Norton will be one of the preferred services.

Norton Identity Safe Services

But Password storage behind a single password is not the only thing this program offers.

• You can setup to login in some sites automatically.
• It works across devices (although Apple computers are not supported)
• The program helps you to safely share URLs through email and social networks.
• It shows you ratings for your search results so you'll know if the site you want to visit is safe.
• The service will flag specific sites that can be a security risk

How to use it

The program is pretty simple to use, although you'll have to dedicate some time to set it up with all the information you want:

• First of all, you'll need to download it for your device. It works on Windows, iOS, and Android
• Sign in with your Norton Account Login or create a new one
• Create a Password for your Online Vault (different one than your Norton Account). Because this will be the only password you'll use, you need to make it strong. At least eight characters long, uppercase and lowercase letters, one number and one symbol.
• The program will import some passwords from your browser.
• Now you have to start adding accounts. You need to write the site URL, your user name and your password. Because you won’t need to remember these passwords, this is a good opportunity to create new and longer passwords for the different services you use.
• The next time you visit that site, the program will ask to enter your Vault Password, and the program will automatically fill the information in for you.
• For security, delete and deactivate the stored passwords in your browser.
• You can install the Chrome and Firefox addons for your browser so it will be easier to add new accounts into Norton Identity Safe.

Issues and Dangers

Because not every system is perfect, there are a couple of things I don't like about Norton Identity Safe, and other similar services.

• What happens when you need to sign into your mail using a strange computer, a cybercafe or a printer-centre? If you have changed your mail passwords for a strong one that Norton Identity Safe remembers, there's a good chance that you don't remember it anymore, and your own mail will be inaccessible.
• The other problem comes with security. Having a single password to access all of your accounts can be a serious hazard even if it is a long and difficult one. Passwords are broken into more often by social engineering or looking around in your desktop than with hacker methods.
• Having all your passwords in the cloud where you don't know who may have access to them can be dangerous. LastPass had a security breach last year, and those attacks can become common once they realize that with a single password can access thousands of services.

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