oneSafe Helps Consumers Protect Credit by Securing Saved Passwords and Private Data

In a Nutshell: Hackers often target personal information to take out fraudulent loans or illegally apply for credit cards in someone’s name. But consumers can use the oneSafe security app to store passwords and confidential information, and safeguard it from fraudsters. The smartphone app works by keeping sensitive data on a decentralized, encrypted network. Users can also access their information, including passwords, anytime from the mobile app.

Consumers often hear about the dangers of identity theft, but they may not understand why personal information is so valuable to hackers.

Cybercriminals target names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and passwords for a variety of malicious purposes. They can use that information to steal tax refunds if someone uses the same or weak passwords for multiple logins. They can even use a victim’s airline miles or open fake utility or phone accounts.

But one of the most devastating ways hackers use stolen information is to get money in someone else’s name.

“Obtaining personal information, including Social Security numbers, can enable someone to pose as their victim and apply for credit or take out loans that they never pay back,” said Lawyer Steven J.J. Weisman, author of “Identity Theft Alert: 10 Rules You Must Follow to Protect Yourself from America’s #1 Crime.”

That type of theft can seriously damage consumer credit scores. If the fraudsters open credit accounts in an individual’s name, rack up charges, and don’t make any payments, the individual’s credit score can plummet.

Because that personal information is so valuable, many consumers turn to oneSafe, a data security platform that shields essential data from prying eyes.

Olivier Berni developed the oneSafe app to offer users a secure barrier between their information and the world. And the app continues to find new users because of its customizable features and trustworthiness.

“Trust comes from technical things, the way you encrypt the data. Most users can’t understand those technical things, so you need to provide something more,” Olivier said. “You can customize your oneSafe app, so it is your home.”

Olivier began developing apps in 2007, soon after Apple introduced its first iPhone.

“We sold a fair amount of applications without any marketing whatsoever. We were featured on blogs or websites, and we managed to make a bit of money,” Olivier said. “We realized there was probably a business to create applications, so we started to develop a bigger application, in terms of scope and value, for our users.”

Olivier and his team started working on oneSafe in 2009. He was committed to making digital security more intuitive for mobile device users. Essentially, the app secures user passwords and confidential data without forcing users to remember a unique, complicated password for every new website they use. Users can also store each password based on categories, favorites, and search features.

After two years of tweaking the app to make it more user-friendly, Olivier and his team launched oneSafe in 2011.

“We were in contact with many people, especially at Apple, who loved our application,” he said.

Once users purchase oneSafe for their device, the app helps them set up a preferred method to unlock the app. Users can choose from a pattern-drawing process, four combination locks, a four-digit PIN, or a passphrase.

Macworld praised the password manager in an article, saying: “The app is well made, robust, and very easy to use — all excellent attributes for a security app — software that, by necessity, can often feel more annoying than useful. Considering its price and features, oneSafe is a good choice if you’re in the market for a new password manager — and an excellent choice if you’ve never had one.”

oneSafe was one of the first password managers on the market, even as similar apps started saturating the market not long after. But oneSafe distinguishes itself from competitors through its dedication to development.

For one, the oneSafe team, including all developers at Olivier’s company, Lunabee Studio, are committed to improving the product, not selling it off.

“We realized that we were more excited about developing new applications and creating software. We didn’t want to go down the pathway of raising money with the main idea of taking it all to market. We were more excited about the development,” Olivier said.

Many team members have been working to refine oneSafe for more than 10 years. Initially, Lunabee developed applications, sold them, and managed the app’s life cycle. Now, the team has shifted to developing applications for other companies.

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That focus has helped Lunabee remain a leader in a crowded field.

“We are always ahead of the best practices and new features of the mobile iOS,” Olivier said.

Another differentiating factor is oneSafe’s encryption process. The app does not have a backend or server that centralizes or synchronizes user data. Instead, the team relies on solutions like iCloud and DropBox that manage their own security to share passwords across devices.

“We encrypt the data, but we didn’t want to have one centralized place that would be a target for hackers. That’s the reason we didn’t want to do that,” Olivier said. “We didn’t want to raise red flags to every hacker on the planet. Similar companies made a different choice.”

In addition to the options available to unlock the app, users can also personalize oneSafe. They can store information other than passwords, including files, documents, settings, and virtual wallet data.

Users can also store information in groups or categories identified with icons. In addition, they can access favorites and folders through the categories on the left-hand side of the app’s main window. And users can search for entries by name at any time.

Though oneSafe has been operational for more than a decade, Bern said he has seen an increased value in the app in the last two years.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, people work more from home. Mobile devices are the future. We have seen that already,” Olivier said. “Many mobile devices have outgrown the number of computers. We use them to manage all our lives right now. It has become more critical to secure it,” he said.

Another key oneSafe benefit is its ease of use for on-the-go consumers. For instance, a oneSafe user could quickly make a transfer on a banking application while riding the subway without worrying about hacking or credit theft.

The Lunabee team continues to develop new features to make oneSafe even more relevant for users. Next up, the team is looking to roll out Touch ID and Face ID features, and plans to add an extra layer of security.

“We are exploring a technology that allows you to perform operations that are encrypted and remain encrypted all the way,” Olivier said. “The idea is to search within your passwords database without decrypting the data and perform the search with your data always encrypted. In terms of security and privacy, that is something new and game-changing.”