How often do you find yourself struggling to come up with new login credentials, only to forget them afterward? Managing passwords for every account, site, and service can certainly get frustrating at times. Even more so, if you consider that the number of internet devices and online accounts in use is constantly growing.
- How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Windows 10
- How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Phone
- How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Itunes
- How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Yahoo
- How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Chrome
It is essential to make sure each of your passwords is secure. This, in turn, requires that you understand how to manage passwords properly, why it’s so important, and what makes a password strong. In this Passwarden® blog post, we'll discuss exactly that!
Why Managing Strong Passwords is Important
Hackers can use a vast array of techniques and tools to gain access to your sensitive information. However, most often a security breach occurs through one of two attack vectors: either via a brute-force attack or by exploiting the victim’s negligence of security measures. In both scenarios, the attacker’s job is all the easier if the victim uses simple, short, and common passwords.
MacPass can remember all these passwords for you, while you only have to remember the master password that will unlock access to your password manager. The program stores your passwords in a highly encrypted database. This database consists of only one file, so it can be easily transferred from one computer to another. How to install MacPass? Welcome to your Password Manager. Manage your saved passwords in Android or Chrome. They’re securely stored in your Google Account and available across all your devices. Password Checkup. Check the strength and security of your saved passwords. Find out if they’ve been compromised and get personalized advice when you need it. Now you need to go to Facebook for example and change the password you now use for Facebook to the password of your password vault. If successful, you can copy the link from the Facebook login screen and paste it into the password vault under 'URL'. Now you are all set and have a good safe for all the passwords you have.
On your iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome app.; At the bottom right, tap More.; Tap Settings Passwords.; See, delete, or export a password: See: Tap the saved password.Under 'Password,' tap Show.; Delete: At the top right, tap Edit.Under 'Saved Passwords,' tap the site you want to remove Delete.; Export: Scroll down to the bottom, and then tap Export Passwords. (1) Log into Keeper's web vault at (2) Click on your account email in the upper right-hand corner. (3) Click on Settings Import. (4) Choose MacPass from the list.
The dangers of weak passwords
What exactly is wrong with weak passwords? We’re going to explore this in the following paragraphs, but for now, here’s a bit of password management trivia for you. One of the most commonly used passwords is '123456789', which is by accident also one of the most commonly hacked ones. Think about it.
Of course, we genuinely believe that your password is stronger than that. But if you think about some of the first passwords that come to your mind, upon closer inspection you may find them wanting in terms of strength. Our passwords tend to include at least some of our personalized details - names, birthdays, schools and graduation years, kid and pet names, sports team and favorite band names, etc.
Unfortunately (but not unexpectedly), many of these details are by no means unique enough. Hackers have long been utilizing curated lists of words and phrases that are commonly used in passwords. This allows them to organize global attacks, targeting large groups of people at once. And the most likely first victims of such attacks are users with weak or common passwords.
Passwords and brute-force attacks
One of the most common types of attacks aimed at breaching into user accounts and stealing personal data is aptly named a brute-force attack. In it, a hacker uses a program that attempts to systematically enter every possible combination in an attempt to basically “guess” your password by trial and error. It might feel like this would take forever, but with a powerful enough computer, and with a weak password, a brute-force attack can crack it in minutes or hours.
Now, it must be noted that no password is totally uncrackable. The only difference between a weak and a strong password is that the latter takes more time to crack. However, this is a vital difference! While a weak password will take a couple of hours to crack, a long, complex, and unique password will take hundreds of years, rendering any attack futile.
How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Windows 10
3 Rules for Managing Strong Passwords
1. Variety of characters
Creating a strong password is not as difficult as one might think. The first step is to use different types of characters in your password (numbers, special symbols, upper and lowercase letters), which makes it significantly more reliable. By adding even a single character of a different type, you increase the list of potential combinations that an attacker has to try. The more complex the combination of characters - the better.
2. Password length
A healthy mix of characters makes a password more reliable, but making it even a few characters longer increases its security manifold. How long should a password be? The general consensus is - at least 10+ digits long if it combines various types of characters, or at 15+ otherwise. Adding just 3 extra characters to a weak password can increase the time it takes to crack it from hours to centuries.
3. Password uniqueness
Ah, the painful topic of reusing passwords. Most of us know it’s a bad habit, and yet we often opt to do reuse a password or two nonetheless. Just to recap, why should you use unique passwords? Because otherwise if a security breach reveals a password on one of your accounts, it automatically jeopardizes all the others where you use the same password. And coincidentally, the first thing a hacker does when they get their hands on your password is to try it on every other account and email that belongs to you.
Using a Password Manager for Strong Passwords
To sum up the above, a strong password should be long enough, contain a variety of types of characters, and be unique. Here’s a random example of a strong password, generated in Passwarden: F*j9upoFj)7f2agkvz. Now imagine you have something similar for a password per each of your accounts. This raises a valid question: how are you supposed to remember all those? Well, you aren’t - a password manager should do it for you!
A cloud-based password manager like Passwarden is a helpful tool that allows you to:
- Securely store your passwords, along with other sensitive information (logins, ID card, Driver’s License, SSN, credit cards and banking information, etc.)
- Conveniently manage and easily retrieve the stored data when needed (password autofill option included)
- Add extra layers of security with Two-Factor Authentication and Duress Mode
- Generate strong passwords and instantly save them in protected vaults
- Safely share your passwords and data with others
- Ensure the privacy of your information thanks to the zero-knowledge architecture
Read more:How do password managers work?
How to Manage Passwords With Passwarden
Using a dedicated app to manage passwords comes with its pros and cons. However, anyone who’s concerned about the security of their passwords and data would do well to use a password manager. As opposed to other, less reliable means, e.g. writing passwords down on sticky notes or digital sheets.
How to start using Passwarden
Our password manager is really easy to take up! You can download and use it or free right now using the free subscription. You can also check out Passwarden paid subscriptions for more advanced options.
Once you sign in with a new or existing KeepSolid ID, you will be prompted to create a Master Password. This is a very important step! Master Password is your key to Passwarden, which means two things:
- You want to make sure that it’s well-protected - strong enough to withstand a brute-force attack, and reinforced with two-factor authentication
- You don’t want to lose it - without it, not even Passwarden’s employees can access your data (see how to recover your Master Password)
With your newly created Master Password, you’ll be able to access your Passwarden account and start managing your passwords and sensitive information in Vaults. A Vault is a single, separate storage place. You can create any number of Vaults for different purposes (e.g. a personal Vault for your own data and a shared Vault for your family account passwords).
How to manage saved passwords
What if you wanted to use Passwarden to manage passwords that you already have stored in other apps, for example in a browser? In this case, you could utilize the Data Migration feature. It allows you to import passwords from different apps directly to Passwarden. This is a very convenient option since otherwise, you’d have to manually transfer what could easily be thousands of passwords!
How to manage passwords on Mac, iPhone, Chrome, Safari, and other devices
With Passwarden, you can manage passwords on all popular platforms, including macOS, iOS, Windows, Android, browsers, and using the web app. Moreover, you can use Passwarden on any number of devices simultaneously. And with the cloud-based data synchronization, any passwords that you save on one of your devices will instantly become available on all the others where you’re signed in to your Passwarden account.
MacPass (Keepass client for Mac)
What is MacPass (and Keepass) ?
MacPass is a native Keepass client for Mac, it is a free, open source, light-weight and easy-to-use password manager for Mac.
Today you need to remember many passwords, your CERN account, your mail account, your website's accounts and so on, the list is endless. Also, you should use different passwords for each account. Because if you use only one password everywhere and someone gets this password you have a problem...
MacPass can remember all these passwords for you, while you only have to remember the master password that will unlock access to your password manager.
The program stores your passwords in a highly encrypted database. This database consists of only one file, so it can be easily transferred from one computer to another.
How to install MacPass ?
Macpass is available in the Mac Self Service and can be installed within a minute.
Just click on the 'install' button and wait...
How to create a database?
The first time you open the app, you will see a welcome screen asking you to either create a KeePass database or open an existing one. Creating a new database will immediately kick you into the new database, while loading an existing one will open a finder windows where you will be able to select an appropriate KeePass file. At the next screen, you will have the opportunity to enter your password and/or choose your keyfile.
Create your own database
Click the 'Create new Database' and you will be presented with a blank KeePass database, loaded with a few starter categories (circled in red)
The database is not saved yet. You must save the database to complete the creation process
How to save your database ?
The first time saving your database, you will get a prompt to create a keyfile and/or password. If you wish to use a password, enter it in the top fields and confirm. REMEMBER THIS PASSWORD! If you forget the master password to your database, all of the information will be lost for good!
Similarly, to create a keyfile, click the 'Generate Keyfile' button and save your keyfile somewhere on your computer or on a USB stick.
Similarly, to create a keyfile, click the 'Generate Keyfile' button and save your keyfile somewhere on your computer or on a USB stick.
If you decide to use a keyfile, don't loose it! Without it, the database cannot be opened.
Password versus Keyfile?
Each authentication method has its upsides and downsides, but both can be used together and complement each other very well.
Password protecting means that only someone who knows the password can open the file. This method can be considered secure if your password is enough complex.
A keyfile is useful if you have a database that you sync with Cernbox or with another cloud service.
You can put the database in the cloud, but keep a keyfile only on the devices you use (e.g. your phone, your laptop).
Keyfiles do not change, and can be kept separate from the KeePass database.
How to manipulate entries in the database?
Create an entry
First, select a category on the main window, then File -> New Entry
Choose a Title for the new entry, as well as a Username and a Password.
The password can be generated using the password generator available if you click on the button Generate
The Entropy can be considered as the level of security of the password. In simplified terms, this is the base-2-logarithm of the number of all possible such passwords -- 100 bits entropy equals 2^100 possible passwords.
Delete an entry
Simply Right-Click on the entry and select Delete
Basic Use of MacPass
How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Phone
Most useful features
The most important functions of MacPass can be found if you Right-Click on an entry:
Copy Username : will copy the the username in the clipboard of your Mac so you can past it in your web browser or any other application
Copy Password : will copy the the password in the clipboard of your Mac so you can past it in your web browser or any other application
URL -> Open URL : will launch the URL associated with this entry using your default web browser
Perform Autotype : will perform the Autotype sequence associated with the entry. Please see the Autotype section below.
Autotype
Autotype simulates key strokes to enter enter text into applications. This concept makes it possible to enter user credentials in web forms, type passwords into terminals or enter text into an input of virtually any application. For example, you can use Autotype to enter your username and password in the App Store app but also on www.icloud.com. Autotype is invoked by clicking on Perform Autotype in the context menu for an entry. MacPass then will activate the last application and send the keystroke sequence defined by the Autotype sequence for the selected entry.
Example with Safari
How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Itunes
- Open a website in Safari
- click at the user login input form
- switch to MacPass ans select the corresponding entry
- Perform Autotype
Safari will get the focus and for the default Autotype sequence
{USERNAME}{TAB}{PASSWORD}{ENTER}
, MacPass will type the username in the input field then tab will get sent to switch to the password input, MacPass then will send key strokes to type the password and after that an Enter stroke is sent. With this sequence, most web forms will get submitted correctly.How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Yahoo
Advanced use of MacPass
How To Manage Your Passwords With Macpass Chrome
For advanced usage of MacPass, please refer to the following pages : https://github.com/MacPass/MacPass/wiki