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Seinfeld fans may remember the infamous breach of George Costanza’s ATM password. Although he was wise enough not to use his birthday, phone number or the last four digits of his Social Security Number, George’s transparent personality allowed Kramer to easily guess his secret code: Bosco.
According to 2008 data from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer information and advocacy organization, about 57 percent of computer data breaches could have been avoided with better password management. If you’re still using easy-to-guess passwords like the names of your children or pets, or if you’re the forgetful type who writes your passwords on sticky notes then conveniently leaves them on your computer monitor for anyone to see, then it may be time to enhance your password security with a service like KeePass.
How KeePass Works
You can create, store and remember passwords in ways that will deter hackers with the help of KeePass. And, because it is open source software, anyone can download it and use it for free.
KeePass sets up a secure database for storing passwords on your hard drive. If you use multiple computers, simply save the database to a USB stick or another mobile storage device and use it anywhere.
Passwords become easier to find and use in a KeePass database. You can organize your entries into folders categorized for shopping, banking, news, etc. And, you also can use the application’s search function to quickly find entries by a site name, URL, category, user name and more.
The site has a simple, no-frills interface with lots of information about downloading, expanding and using the software. However, the nooest noobies may be intimidated by the sparse design and sometimes-confusing technical jargon. But, persevere, and you’ll end up with a valuable tool for safely and effectively managing passwords.
Getting Started
If you’re running Windows on your computer, downloading KeePass is simple. Click on “Downloads” in the left navigation bar and select the latest edition (1.15 as of the writing of this article) of the Classic Edition to get the Windows executable (or EXE) file. When your computer asks if you want to save or run the file, choose “run.” You may get a warning that the publisher of KeePass is unknown. This warning is fairly common when downloading open source software since the developers who donate their time to projects don’t want to pay for or manage security certificates. However, experience has proven this to be a safe download that won’t wreak havoc on your computer.
KeePass will ask you a few set up questions using an installation wizard then let you launch the database. The first thing you’ll need to do is choose if you want to protect your database with a Master Password, a Key File or both. This is an important decision that can have a long term impact on your password management, so let’s look at each option:
- Master Password: When you use a Master Password, you can enter one, carefully chosen password that will unlock all the passwords in your database. Make sure you remember your password. Without it, the content of your database is not accessible.
- Key File: Another option is to choose a Key File, which, in most cases, provides better security than master passwords. However, a Key File is an actual file that you will need to have with you anytime you want to access the passwords in your database. If you lose the file, there is no way to recover your passwords.
- Master Password and Key File: Choosing both will give you the maximum possible security when using KeePass.
Storage Features
Now comes the fun part. Once you’ve successfully downloaded and installed KeePass, you’ll want to decide how it and its features will best work for you.
Most noobies will appreciate simply having a safe place to store existing passwords. If you’ve been relying on the same password, say Bosco, for every site or application you use, now is a good time to reevaluate your password strategy. Keep in mind that if an untrustworthy person finds out your password is Bosco in one place, then Bosco will be the first word they try everywhere else, too. It is unsafe to use the same password over and over, and many sites and programs now require you to get more creative-and safe-with password that include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, special characters or all of the above.
KeePass also will store your usernames. Again, you may have successfully kept your life simple by always relying on the same user name, but as applications and sites gain popularity, you may need to get more creative to find a username that’s unique for your account. As you collect more and more unique usernames, KeePass can help you remember them and expedite your logins.
To look up your usernames or passwords, simply open KeePass and find the name of the web site you want to access. You can browse through your topical file folder names or perform a quick search by either typing the first few letters of a site’s name in the “Search” field or pressing CTRL-F (PC only) on your keyboard to launch a new search window. Once you’ve found your database entry, there are a few options for easily logging in.
- Identify the correct database entry, confirm your username and password then go to the site and type it in the correct fields. If your password appears as a serious of dots or asterisks, use CTRL-H to toggle between a hidden and visible password.
- Highlight the correct database entry then cut and paste your username and password. You’ll first want to open the target site and locate the login fields. Go back to KeePass where you can use the Edit menu or CTRL-C to copy your password. Return to the site and use CTRL-V or a right mouse click to paste your password. Repeat this process using CTRL-B to copy your user name. Take note that KeePass further protects your security by only keeping copied information on its clipboard for a few seconds, so act quickly.
- Launch the site and let KeePass auto-enter your username and password. This relies on a default script written into KeePass, so it may not work on all sites, but when it does, it’s cool! Highlight the entry then CTRL-U to launch the site. Make sure your cursor is in the user name field on the site, then immediately return to KeePass (Alt-Tab is the best way). Press CTRL-V and KeePass will fill in your name and password in the right fields on the site. If this doesn’t work, it may mean the site’s login process varies slightly from the default KeePass script, and you’ll need to use one of the other cut and paste options.
Advanced Features
A convenient database for storing passwords is nice, but KeePass can actually do much more. Step up your Internet security by letting KeePass randomly generate secure passwords for you. Set parameters, like a password that has 10 characters or less and at least one capital letter, then KeePass will return a gobbledygook of letters, numbers and symbols. The next time you want to log in to that site, go to KeePass and use the copy and paste options described above.
Use caution, however. Unless you’re a savant, you’ll never remember or guess these passwords. That means access to a site will always require access to KeePass. KeePass is easy to take with you using a portable storage device, but you’ll want to protect the device like you would your wallet!
If you access sites or programs with advanced security requirements like changing your password every six weeks, then KeePass can keep track of when those changes should occur and give you date-driven reminders.
Learn even more about KeePass and its advanced features by clicking on “Feature List” in the site’s left navigation bar. You’ll also find lots of information in the Help section if you decide to pursue more advanced download options or plugins.
How Secure is a Secure Password?
Your KeePass database will be protected by the same Advanced Encryption Standard and Twofish algorithms that are used by banks. Even if a hacker used all the computers in the world to attack one KeePass database using that level of security, the decrypting would take longer than the age of the universe. Now that’s secure!
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Source by Patric Welch
