How does Bitwarden work?

• Bitwarden is installed as a Chrome extension. When you first start the browser, you will enter a master password that will be used to unlock Bitwarden.
• You can install it from the Chrome web store.
• After entering the master password, whenever you want to log in to a website, you can click the Bitwarden icon, then click on one of the available saved logins if you have more than one. The password (and username, if applicable) will be automatically entered, and you will be logged in. You can also use ctrl + shift + L, or Cmd + Shift + L on Mac.
• If you do not already have a login/password saved for the website you are logging into, log in manually the first time. After this, Bitwarden will ask if you want to add that password to your vault. If you choose to save it, it will be saved for use whenever you return to that website in the future.

Why not use Chrome’s password manager?

• Bitwarden is safer to use than Chrome’s password manager as all your existing passwords are hidden behind a master password.
• In addition to security, Bitwarden is also much more versatile as it has many more features that I will describe below.
• Your Bitwarden account can sync your information across multiple devices without the need to sign into Chrome using a personal account.

Here are some of the useful features of Bitwarden:

• Secure notes: Besides just saving passwords and login info, Bitwarden can store secure notes that are encrypted so that only you can access them. This can be used for things like non-browser passwords you would like to save (Wi-Fi passwords), software license keys, storing documents, secret questions/answers for accounts, etc.
• Generator: Generates highly secure passwords to use when registering an account or changing a password, which can then be stored in Bitwarden and used to log in.
• Shared Vaults: If you would like a certain set of passwords or notes or other items to be accessible to a group of people, you can use a shared vault so they can be safely shared.
• Biometrics: If you do not want to remember a master password, or if you just don’t want to type it every time, you can log in using a fingerprint scan or face recognition.
• Bitwarden Mobile: In addition to your computer, Bitwarden can be used on mobile devices as well, for both iOS and Android devices. See the helpful links section for more details.
• Checking for breaches: Bitwarden can check if your password was involved in a data breach and notify you when you need to change it.

What if I have a Mac computer but I want to use Bitwarden as well?

• Bitwarden is also available for Mac if you use Google Chrome or Safari.

Important note!

• Be very careful not to lose your master password! If you lose it, there is no way to recover it without having to reset your account and losing all your saved passwords & other data.
• There are also steps you can take to prevent yourself from losing the master password: 
  • Have your Bitwarden account logged in on another device – the Bitwarden app on your phone would work well for this.
  • If your computer supports it, use Biometrics such as face recognition or fingerprint scans to get into your account. More info on this in the Useful Links section.
  • Set up a password hint to help you remember (but don’t make the hint too obvious). Here is how to set up a hint: 
    1. After creating your Bitwarden account, click here to go to the login page and then log in.
    2. Click your profile on the top right corner, then click Account Settings.
       
    3. Click Security on the left.
       
    4. Enter your current master password in the Current master password field, and also in the New master password and Confirm new master password fields.
        As long as you enter the same password in each box, your password will not change. This is just required to update the hint.
    5. Enter your password hint in the Master password hint field and click Change master password. Again, this will not change your password if you entered the same one previously.
    6. You will be logged out of Bitwarden. Once you log back in, your hint setup is complete!

Getting Started

• Go to the Chrome web store and search for Bitwarden, or click here, then install the Chrome extension.
• You will see the Bitwarden extension pop up when the installation completes. It will look something like this:

• It will then ask you to create an account. Use your @runza.com email for this.
• Once it is registered, click the Bitwarden icon and login with your new account.
• Once logged in, you are ready to go. To log into an account using Bitwarden, simply go to the login page for the website you want to log into, click the Bitwarden icon, and click the account that you would like to use. You can also use ctrl + shift + L, or Cmd + Shift + L on Mac.