Explained | What are password managers, and can they be hacked?

On January 10, security software company Norton, in a notification to the Vermont Attorney General’s office, shared that it had detected an unauthorised third-party logging into its customers’ accounts. Through this, hackers could also break into the users’ password manager, and access even more sensitive information, the company added. Password managers are programs designed to store passwords for local applications and online services allowing users to save their password information securely. Most password managers work online or are web-based, and store information in an encrypted format in a cloud storage solution that allows users to access their stored passwords on multiple devices. And since the information stored within the password manager includes sensitive data points like usernames and passwords for different websites, it could be used by hackers to access even account and payment information of users.