NordPass has added a new feature to its password manager — the ability to grant others access to their vault in an emergency.
Emergency Access will let family and friends get to protected data without needing to know the master password, should the owner allow them.
Many password managers already offer similar features to this, such as LastPass, but it’s positive to see the relative newcomer, launched just two years ago, add this feature.
How Will NordPass Emergency Access Work?
NordPass will allow selected people to access information in the owners vault, such as passwords and documents, without giving away the master password.
In order to be granted access, the owner will need to have sent other users an invitation, which, once accepted, then grants emergency access. This only allows the other party viewing access — they will not be able to edit or delete existing content in the user’s vault. Permissions can also be revoked at any time.
“This is an important feature that was requested by many users, so we are very happy to introduce it. User feedback has been incredibly important to us from day one, and we have introduced many improvements to our product that were requested by users.” – Chad Hammond, security expert at NordPass.
There are many reasons why a user may wish to give others access to their passwords and documents. NordPass cites the deletion of social media accounts as one, with requests having to be supported by documentation that friends and family may not have access to otherwise.
The Emergency Access feature is initially available to NordPass Premium users, and only on desktop and android apps.
Is NordPass Emergency Access Safe?
It’s natural to be anxious about giving others access to your password manager’s vault. NordPass state that the feature is secure, as only those named by the user are given access, and that all details are write-protected, meaning that they can’t be altered. The user can also remove access at any time.
The feature will require a certain degree of trust that those you select to have access to your vault won’t pry without the need to, and that you are comfortable with giving them viewing rights. This is definitely a feature that is intended for closest friends and family.
While the feature is new to NordPass, it’s fairly common in the password manager world. LastPass has a similar tool, named, funnily enough, Emergency Access. Dashlane and 1Password also offer ways to securely share your details with others.
Do I Need a Password Manager?
The average person has around 100 passwords. That’s a lot of information to have to remember, and it also makes us more likely to get lazy and reuse the same password across multiple sites and services, compromising security. If you’re unlucky enough to be the victim of a data breach, and you use the same password, it could grant a scammer instant access to a wealth of personal and financial information about you.
Password managers remove this risk by offloading the stress of remembering, and creating passwords, and doing it all for you. A good password manager will make sure your passwords are robust, and even create them for you. They will also give you access to all your sites with a click of a button, which is a nice way to free up your brain of 100 things.
Some password managers will even let you know if your password has been comprised, by scanning the dark web and reporting back to you the moment your details get out there.
We’ve tested a wide selection of the major password managers, yes, including NordPass. See below for our recommendations:
| Local Storage Option | Two-Factor Authentication | Failsafe Function | Password Generator Function A password manager can create secure, complex passwords for you. You won't need to remember them yourself. | Help Instructions | Email Support | Live Chat Support | Phone Support | Price | Business Plan? | Business Price Cheapest available business plan | Click to Try | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEATURED  | TOP PICK  |  |  |  | |||||||||
| NordPass | LastPass | Dashlane | Sticky Password | ||||||||||
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| $3/month | $4.99/month | $3.33/month | ||||||||||
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| $19.95/10 users | $3/user/month | $60/user | $29.99/user | ||||||||||
| Try 1Password | Try NordPass | Try LastPass | Try Dashlane | Sticky Password |
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