How to Share Passwords Safely with Friends and Family

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In this guide, you will learn:

• What is Password Sharing?
• Why People Share Passwords
• Password Sharing Risks
• Safe Password Sharing Practices
• How To Share Passwords Safely with Trend Micro ID Protection
• Unlock the secrets of online privacy!

While most apps and websites boast security measures, the risk of unauthorized access to your online accounts or data theft always lingers in the digital world. This threat is commonly known as hacking.

What is Password Sharing?

Password sharing is how you give your login information, email address or password to someone else so they can access your app, subscription, or service.

Why People Share Passwords

Password sharing became a norm because of subscription-based services and apps. Before you can watch your beloved shows and movies from Netflix, or if you are tired of hearing senseless ads when listening to the latest beats on Spotify and YouTube Premium, you need an account with a paid subscription service to enjoy these.

These subscription services are not cheap. To save money, we succumb to get crafty and resourceful by sharing account credentials. Doing this cuts the costs in half, even more if shared more than once. To share subscriptions with your friends or family, you have one account that everyone must know its account name and password.

Password Sharing Risks

If you accidentally shared passwords to someone, your account may no longer be secure. Here are its risks:

• Your passwords can also be shared to others without you knowing it.
• Your accounts may be vulnerable to keyloggers or sniffers. Because you don’t know how they use your account details, they may accidentally log in to unsecure websites or connect to an unsecured network. Once logged in, someone can get personal identifiable information you saved on your account.
• You may be locked out of your account. Someone may change your account details, like update your password to a new one so you can no longer access your account.

Safe Password Sharing Practices

The best way to share passwords is to do it verbally. This avoids having a digital footprint of your account credentials.

If inevitable, and you fully trust the person you will share the passwords, here are a few options you can do to share them securely:

• Enable Two-Factor Authentication on all your accounts whenever possible. This feature lets you know someone is trying to log in to your accounts using the passwords you shared.
• Send your passwords through an encrypted email. It prevents the receiver of the email to accidentally share the email you sent to someone.
  • When using Outlook, enable Encrypt or Do not forward via Options.
  • When using Gmail, encrypt your email via Confidential Mode.
• If you have an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac), you can use Airdrop to share your passwords.

Share Passwords Safely with Trend Micro ID Protection

If you're looking for a secure and user-friendly solution to share passwords with friends and family, look no further than Trend Micro ID Protection. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of safely sharing passwords using this innovative tool.

Step 1: Install ID Protection for Mobile

1. Tap the link below depending on which mobile device you use:
   • Get Trend Micro ID Protection App for Android phone or tablet
   • Get Trend Micro ID Protection App for iPhone or iPad
2. Launch the app and log in with your Trend Micro account.
3. Navigate to the Vault tab within the app.

Step 2: Share a Password from Your Mobile Device

1. In the Password section of the Vault tab, you can choose an account for which you want to share a password.
2. If the account isn't already added, tap the '+' icon to add it.
3. Select the desired account and tap Share Password.
4. Set up your sharing preferences:
   • Access Code. The person who receives the shared password link will need to enter the code before they can access the account.
   • Time Limit. The shared password link will only be valid for a specified period before it becomes unusable.
   • Maximum Access Count. The shared password link can only be used a limited number of times before it becomes invalid.
5. Once you've customized your settings, tap 'Share Password Link.'

You'll see a preview of the message that you're about to send, along with an access code. Review the message, and if everything looks good, tap Share Password. Remember, the access code should be shared separately with the recipient for added security.

Step 3: Share Passwords Using the ID Protection Portal

Alternatively, you can use the ID Protection portal for sharing passwords. Here's how:

1. Visit the ID Protection Portal here and log in with your Trend Micro account.
2. Navigate to the Vault tab within the portal.
3. Select the account you wish to share a password for or add a new account if it's not listed.
4. Choose Share Password and configure your sharing settings:
   • Access Code. The person who receives the shared password link will need to enter the code before they can access the account.
   • Time Limit. The shared password link will only be valid for a specified period before it becomes unusable.
   • Maximum Access Count. The shared password link can only be used a limited number of times before it becomes invalid.
5. After configuring your preferences, click Share Password Link.

A preview of the message will appear, along with an access code. Verify the message, and if it looks correct, click Copy Password Link. Remember, just like in the mobile method, the access code should be shared separately with the recipient for enhanced security.

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