Bitwarden is rolling out an update for its popular password manager that will offer a new level of security and privacy protection.
The company has announced integrations with three email forwarding services - Firefox Relay, SimpleLogin and AnonAddy - which will allow users to create email aliases via the in-built password generator.
The idea is to give people a way to conceal their primary email address when signing up for new online accounts, while still receiving all necessary communications in a single inbox.
Bitwarden email aliases
Although relay services do not shield against email-based tracking techniques (such as pixel tags), they do allow users to withhold their main email credentials, the foundation of their online identity.
Using multiple aliases in combination with unique passwords also limits the likelihood that credentials exposed in a data breach can be used to hijack multiple online accounts.
“People's privacy is fundamental no matter where they are or what apps they use - whether it's saving passwords in Firefox or using other password managers,” said Luke Crouch, Security Engineer at Firefox Relay.
“Hackers and trackers abuse email addresses and passwords to break into accounts and link personal information. Combining Firefox Relay and Bitwarden to hide your real email address and create strong unique passwords greatly lowers the risk of account take-overs or data aggregation.”
Beyond the privacy and security considerations, there is also a simple practical reason to adopt email aliases: they can be used as an easy way to rid the inbox of spam. If someone notices a large number of spam emails are funnelling in via a particular alias (say, one used to make purchases from ecommerce websites), that address can simply be discarded.
The new Bitwarden email alias feature will only be available via the desktop client, browser extensions and web vault for the time being, with support for mobile applications set to follow in a future update.
