Protect yourself by erasing saved passwords

It’s no simple task remembering all the passwords and usernames we need to get into our favorite Web sites. That’s why it’s so tempting to tell our web browsers to save these passwords, whether they’re for our favorite forums or for our online bank accounts. Unfortunately, this convenience comes with a risk. If someone steals your laptop, this thief could easily gain access to your favorite membership-based sites. This can include your online bank account. It is possible to protect yourself, though, by telling your browser to delete your passwords and usernames. And New York Times tech writer J.D. Biersdorfer just recently provided the easy step-by-step instructions.

Firefox

If you’re a fan of the Firefox Web browser, you’ll be happy to know that erasing saved usernames and passwords is a simple task. If you’re using Windows, first select the tools menu. Next, choose options. If you’re relying on a Mac, click on the Firefox menu and then select the preferences option. This brings up the options box. Once that appears, click the security tab. Next, select saved passwords. Then click remove all. This will make Firefox forget all those usernames and passwords. If you want to be more selective, though, you can first choose the view saved passwords option to hand-select those password/username combinations you wish to erase.

Chrome

When using Chrome for Windows, select the Chrome menu. Then click settings and then advanced settings. You can then pick the saved passwords link, which will let you individually pick which passwords to erase. This can be done on a Mac by first visiting the Chrome menu then selecting preferences. Next, select the settings option and follow by choosing advanced settings. Under the passwords and forms option, you’ll see the manage saved passwords choice. Click this to select the passwords you’d rather Chrome forget.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and beyond

The steps for eliminating saved passwords are pretty straight forward for Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, too. First, click the tools menu and choose the safety option. Choose select browsing history. A box will pop up. You’ll see the options passwords and form data. Click the checkboxes next to these. Then click the delete button. This will eliminate your saved passwords.

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