Setup, security, and ease of use are among the best parameters to measure the quality of a password management application. In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at each of the three.
Setup
Setting up NordPass on any supported device is straightforward. The first step is to go to NordPass’ official site and download the browser extension and the desktop or mobile app as needed. When you launch the installer, you’ll need to accept the license terms.
After the installation, which should go quickly, you’re ready to use NordPass. That’s right, you don’t need to register an account with NordPass to use your app or extension. However, you can only use it on the installed device. Another limitation is that you won’t be able to back up your master password on the app’s server.
Back to the issue at hand, when you open NordPass for the first time, it will ask you to register an account. Enter a valid email address in the corresponding field and wait for the confirmation code. When the code arrives, enter it in the required field.
After that, you will need to set up your account’s master password. After that, NordPass will give you a unique recovery key for storing on your device.
When you save the recovery code, you can proceed with saving and importing passwords. You can import passwords directly from another app of the sort and through CSV files.
Security
NordPass performs well in the security metric as well. The platform uses the XChaCha20 algorithm to encrypt data. It is an end-to-end encryption method so only you can see your data. NordPass can’t access them even with the threat of a police warrant.
To make things even safer, NordPass uses only 256-bit long keys. Additionally, they’re made with Argon2 derivation function. That makes NordPass a zero-knowledge platform, which has become a standard for password management apps and extensions.
On the other hand, NordPass is a closed source platform. That means that there is no way to know for sure what’s happening behind the curtain. But it’s worth mentioning that NordPass passed a third-party audit by Cure53.
When it comes to data transfer safety, NordPass is up there with the best. All the data sent from your devices to the platform’s servers is secured with robust TLS security.
NordPass understands that it can be hard to remember the master password, and that’s why every user gets a locally-stored recovery key. However, if you suspect that it might have been compromised, you can just get a new one.
Finally, NordPass makes manual and automatic locking options available, as well as two-factor authentication. Besides Google Authenticator, you can also use Authy, Duo Mobile, and several others.
Ease of Use
NordPass apps and browser extensions have a smooth and streamlined design, regardless of the platform. Also, basic functions like the storing of new passwords and the importing of old passwords are as straightforward as they get.
If you’d like to store a password manually, you should click or tap the Add Item button first. After that, you should select the Add Login option. Fill out the necessary fields and save the password to the vault.
You can also have NordPass save your credentials automatically. To do so, go to a website that you’d like to log into and fill the required fields. When you hit the Log In button, NordPass will offer to save the password.
Of course, NordPass can autofill login fields for you. Though it was initially only available for desktop and laptop users, the mobile versions of the app have recently been beefed up with autofill.
