Introducing Bitwarden
Bitwarden is the most trusted password manager for passwords and passkeys at home or at work, on any browser or device.
The Basics of Bitwarden
Bitwarden is a password management service that is used to store sensitive information, such as website credentials, in an encrypted vault. It has browser extensions for any browser as well as an application for any device.
Please Familiarize Yourself with Bitwarden by Watching the Following Introduction Videos:
Bitwarden for All Devices
Setting up the Bitwarden Browser Extension
Creating an Account
Please note that in most circumstances, you should get an email invite to your organization and can disregard this video.
Getting to Know Your Vault
How to Use the Bitwarden Password Manager
How to Use Bitwarden Send
Next Steps
Now that you have familiarized yourself with Bitwarden, please confirm you have the following:
- A Bitwarden account.
- The Bitwarden browser extension.
- A good understanding of using Bitwarden.
- Optionally, the mobile application, if your company permits it.
- Optionally, the desktop application – allowing biometric sign-in to the desktop app as well as the browser extension.
- Passwords imported from your previous password manager or saved passwords from your browser.
Once you’ve confirmed you have those, if you are reusing the same password on multiple logins or you don’t have strong passwords, you may consider going through each of your services that you use and update the password through their password reset option. Don’t forget to save the new password!
Additional Tips & Tricks
Don't Forget to Save!
It’s a common mistake to use the browser extension to create or edit a login item, enter your username, generate a password, and then click out of the browser extension before clicking the save button in the top-right corner. Don’t forget to click “Save”!
If you do happen to create a new login for a site and enter that new password into the site without saving, you can view your recently generated passwords by navigating to the “Generator” tab in the extension, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking the “Password History” button.
Passphrases > Passwords
We highly recommend using a “passphrase” when generating new passwords, rather than the random “password” option.
- Passphrase example: “Retention-Lagoon3-Buffalo“.
- Random password example: “$*4fmP@YNF5Nvq“.
Here’s why a passphrase is better than a password:
- More secure.
- Length is a much better concern than complexity when it comes to passwords.
- Easier to remember.
- Although you will usually want to use Bitwarden to paste your login credentials for you, it can be significantly easier to remember a passphrase for your commonly used logins rather than a random password, as well as things such as a desktop login password where Bitwarden can’t autofill it.
- Easier to type out, or share verbally with a friend or over the phone.
- It’s much easier to read three words with capitalized beginning letters and a special character in between each word than to read out a random password.
- Don’t believe us? Try it with a coworker or friend with the password examples above!
Ctrl+Shift+L
As shown in the “How to Use the Bitwarden Password Manager” video, using Ctrl+Shift+L for Windows or Cmd+Shift+L for Mac is a huge time saver!
By default, TOTP is not copied automatically. To change this setting, go to the browser extension > Settings > Autofill, and check the “Copy TOTP Automatically” checkbox.
With that setting turned on, the next login you use that you’ve saved an MFA/TOTP code for, you can use the Ctrl+Shift+L to paste the credentials, and the TOTP code will automatically copy to your clipboard for the next screen that asks for your TOTP code, which you can then use Ctrl+V to paste the code in.
Subdomain URI Settings
Before we begin, let’s take a look at “https://hello.example.com”:
- The “example” part is a domain name, or base domain.
- The “com” part is the TLD, or Top Level Domain, and comes last in a URL Address.
- The “hello” part is called a subdomain, and is optional for a URL address.
As an example, let’s say that we two services that our company hosts with their own URLs for each; “chat.mycompany.com” and “orders.mycompany.com”.
In the example above, using Bitwarden to save one of these passwords will default to using the base domain, which it would then try to autofill on either the chat or orders subdomains.
To fix this, we can go to edit or add the item, and under the URI, click the setting gear cog, and then select “Starts with”. After changing this setting, make sure that the URI ends with the Top Level Domain, i.e., “.com” to avoid issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
A password manager is a tool that helps store and manage your passwords securely. It generates strong, unique passwords for different websites and applications, stores them securely, and fills them in when you need them.
Bitwarden uses end-to-end encryption, meaning your data is encrypted on your device before it is sent to their servers. Only you have the master password to unlock your vault. As long as you use a strong master password and enable two-factor authentication (2FA), it’s highly secure.
The master password is the key to unlocking your password manager. It is crucial that you use a strong, unique password because it protects all your other stored passwords. If you forget your master password, you may lose access to your vault since the service provider cannot recover it.
No. Since the data is encrypted locally before being sent to their servers, Bitwarden or any other password manager cannot view your passwords. Only you can decrypt and access them with your master password.
If Bitwarden’s servers are compromised, your data is still encrypted. Hackers would not be able to access your passwords without your master password, which is never sent to Bitwarden’s servers.
Yes. Bitwarden supports synchronization across multiple devices. You can use the same account on your phone, tablet, and computer, and your passwords will be available across all devices.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security. When 2FA is enabled, you’ll need your master password and a secondary verification method (like a code from a separate authentication app or a hardware security key) to log in. You can enable 2FA in your Bitwarden account settings.
The password generator creates strong, random passwords that are difficult to guess. You can customize it to include letters, numbers, symbols, and specific lengths to meet the security requirements of different websites.
Yes. Bitwarden allows you to share passwords securely with other people through the organization feature, or by using collections, ensuring that the data remains encrypted.
Additionally, you can use Bitwarden Send as shown in the “How to Use Bitwarden Send” video.
Bitwarden automatically backs up your passwords to the cloud, ensuring they are synced across your devices. However, you can also export your password vault manually for local backups, but be cautious as these exports are not encrypted.
Bitwarden offers a free plan that includes basic features like storing and syncing passwords across devices. The premium plan includes advanced features such as 2FA options (YubiKey, Duo), secure file storage, and priority customer support.
If you lose your device, you can still access your Bitwarden vault from another device by logging in with your master password. To add security, enable two-factor authentication.
Yes, most password managers, including Bitwarden, allow you to import passwords from other services to make switching easier.
If you forget your master password, you won’t be able to access your vault. Bitwarden (or any secure password manager) does not store or have access to your master password, so it cannot recover it for you.
Yes, as long as the extension is from a trusted source (directly from Bitwarden or the browser’s official extension store), it encrypts your data just like the app. However, it’s important to keep your browser up to date for security reasons.
Additional Questions & Support
If you have additional questions about Bitwarden or if you need assistance, please reach out to our helpdesk by calling 530-500-6767 or by emailing support@shafertech.com. We are here to assist you!
