Do you cringe every time you have to enter your credit card information on a website? I know I do. Companies often have very lousy security storage. Every time you give them your credit card, they store it. Usually this is for tracking your purchases so companies know what targeted advertisements to send you in the mail or online. However, it’s also useful for hackers. This data leaks all the time. Once that happens, anyone can download or buy a list of credit card numbers and information to buy whatever they want.
1Password teamed up with Privacy.com to bring a security-focused solution right to the password manager you may already use. With 1Password’s new Privacy.com integration, you can pay for items while obscuring your actual credit card. It may be the the best way to protect your security online yet.
Privacy.com’s Cards, 1Password’s Features
Privacy.com allows users to create “burner” credit cards for various services. This helps obscure your actual credit card, as well as set limits or destroy them if you want to cut all ties to your actual money.
Their new partnership with 1Password means you can store your payment information with one company, one that actually has security, effectively removing it from all other companies. 1Password can store these temporary credit cards, allowing you to use them as long as you like, set up recurring payments, create payment limits for each “card,” and even cancel them any time.
You could create one for Netflix, give it $12.99 per month, and the card would only charge to your Netflix account. Create another for buying clothes. Another for your favorite electronics retailer. If hackers get into any of those sites, 1Password can notify you, and you can shut down the card and create a new one in its place. Think of it like having proxy cards. Your card will handle all the charges, but not a single retailer will have your actual payment information. It’s a great way to make sure you’re not a victim of a scam or stolen identity.
1Password has two factor authentication, a secure key token to protect your account further, and your password. Your one password, the only one you should have to memorize. Make it good and long, and use two factor authentication, and your 1Password account will likely be the most secure account you’ve ever had.
Too Good to Be True?
Possibly. Could someone hack 1Password or Privacy.com? Yes. However, these are companies who rely on privacy and security. 1Password is a password manager. It generates random passwords for you and, through apps, allows you to put those passwords anywhere. You’ll never need to memorize a password again. I’ve been using it for years, and the service has been secure, reliable, and has allowed me to abandon my old, insecure passwords.
Privacy.com has a similar goal. They’ve been making burner credit cards for some time now. 1Password just allows you to store those cards alongside your passwords now, giving you one place for all of your secure information. 1Password can give you your passwords, secure notes, credit cards, and a 1Password’s “Watchtower,” which alerts you to breaches you may have been involved with so you can reset your passwords and cards.
To use the benefits, you’ll need both a 1Password and a Privacy.com account. Once you have those accounts set up, you’ll be able to easily link your password manager and burner credit cards in one place on 1Password. Both companies are offering discounts for each other’s existing customers and new users. Privacy.com has a free tier, and 1Password is cheap enough to buy and forget.
Nothings perfect when it comes to security, but 1Password’s new deal with Privacy.com might be as good as it gets right now.
Sources:
- 1Password
- Mitchel Broussard, MacRumors
- Mariella Moon, Engadget
- Mike Peterson, AppleInsider
- Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac
- Privacy.com