Stop that Browser from Saving Your HMIS Password!
Following the website address changes applied to Minnesota’s HMIS sites on August 17, some users found themselves unable to access HMIS because they had saved their login information in a web browser. Read on to learn why you should never entrust your HMIS user name and password to a web browser!
When your web browser offers to save your password, politely tell it “No thanks!”
Nowadays most Internet browsers, like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, display a "Save Password?" prompt whenever you log into a website. Clicking "Save" when that pop-up appears causes your browser to store your user name and password so you don't have to type them in the next time you log in to that website. Browsers can use this functionality to automatically fill out forms and login fields with information ranging from user names and passwords to physical addresses, and even credit card information. While convenient, saving HMIS login information in a web browser can be a data privacy and security nightmare — a lot can go wrong if you allow a browser to store your HMIS user credentials.
To take a common example, what if you share a computer with others? Storing your HMIS username and password on a work computer's browser is asking for trouble. Even if you're confident your co-workers or family members would never violate your privacy, there's no need to take that much risk for a little bit of convenience.
HMIS data privacy and security should be a priority for all of us, because of the sensitive nature of the data being entered into our system. We are stewards of the personal information of highly vulnerable populations in our state. ICA takes this responsibility very seriously, as reflected in the expectation that all who use Minnesota’s HMIS keep client information as secure and confidential as possible.
How to Prevent a Web Browser from Saving Passwords
Password save settings can typically be managed from a “Settings” menu, which is often represented by an icon displaying three dots or lines. Instructions for accessing those settings in three popular web browsers have been included below:
Google Chrome: Open Settings menu => Select Autofill => Toggle off "Offer to save passwords."
Microsoft Edge: Open Settings menu => Select Profiles => Select Passwords => Toggle off "Offer to save passwords."
Mozilla Firefox: Open Settings menu => Select Privacy & Security => Scroll down to Logins and Passwords => Uncheck "Ask to save logins and passwords for websites."