Norton dipped into a new field for itself Monday with Identity Safe. The app gives Macs, Windows PCs, iOS devices and Android a cloud space that stores an encrypted keychain of passwords, similar to AgileBits’ 1Password. Going beyond its rival, Norton adds both a unified social sharing shortcut as well as a preemptive anti-phishing system that will check for faked websites in search results, not just when the page loads.
The app can additionally auto-fill common information and save notes. On the desktop, the app isn’t browser-specific and should work in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Recent Norton research found that 70 percent of people have forgotten a password in the past month. That may explain why people often resort to using weak passwords based on their pet’s name, family member’s name or birthday. However, this puts consumers at risk of identity theft and loss of personal information when a hacker cracks one obvious password and gains access to all of their accounts. Others keep a physical list of passwords at home – not much use for the 48 percent of people who access online accounts on-the-go from their mobile device.
“Too often, people turn to bad password habits – using the same easy password for all of their accounts or writing down a list of passwords and taping it to the computer,” said Marian Merritt, Norton Internet Safety Advocate. “Even though passwords have been around for a long time, the sheer number we all have to remember is constantly increasing. Norton Identity Safe is a simple, secure way to keep track of your personal information, no matter where you go or what device you use.”
Both the individual apps and the service itself are free. Norton hasn’t said how, if or when it might try for charge Identity Safe.
