OneLogin hack: Is it safe to use the Avira Password Manager?

The hacking of OneLogin, and the potential misuse of private data by the hackers, raises questions on the part of consumers which could sound like this: “Some kind of password manager got hacked, bet that could happen to about anybody.”

Well, the answer is no and no. And especially not with the Avira Password Manager. Here is why.

One login to rule them all

OneLogin provides, in their own words, “identity management with secure, one-click access, for employees, customers and partners, through all device types, to all enterprise cloud and on-premises applications”. Basically, they provide single sign-in for a grab bag of company and individual cloud accounts.

One hack in review

But, something went wrong at OneLogin — although it is not quite sure what and by whom. But one thing is clear – it hit the security of those in their US data center, compromising both their data and the ability to decrypt encrypted data. Users now have a variety of steps to perform to repair their personal security, including changing passwords, tokens, and login credentials.

Doesn’t everyone put their eggs in one basket?

One might think that all password managers are vulnerable to this sort of attack. After all, they keep all sorts of passwords under a single umbrella/master keyword. Could happen to anyone, right? Well wrong.

It’s your (secure) basket with Avira

With Avira, users select the individual passwords – which are then sent to Avira in an encrypted form and subsequently stored. These passwords are then accessed via the Master Password which is known only to the user that selected it. Even if Avira was somehow hacked, there would be no way for a digital intruder to uncover a user’s password and parlay this into a hacked password account. We just don’t have the password decryption key stored. So if you want to keep your passwords safe and secure the Avira Password Manager is the tool for you!