How to secure your Passwords

[Santy]

Whether to identify with Windows for its messaging to connect to the Internet and to access services that you have purchased online, you need to use a password, unique and complex addition.

No question, then use the same password for each authentication or record their passwords on a piece of paper that may fall under the eyes of an attacker.

How then to keep all their passwords without compromising the security of its information? Since man does not have a memory like an elephant, there is software that can securely manage their passwords. This is where the free KeePass .

How? Firstly, by encrypting your information by two of the most powerful algorithms today (AES and Twofish) also used daily by banks. It is impossible today to decrypt your data.

To access all your passwords, it does so more than adopting a complex password. You then need to retain others. Hence the interest that the password is complex. Even better, you can improve protection by storing on your USB drive a key. No key or password = no access to your database passwords is as simple as that.

Your passwords are then protected and accessible only to yourself. Of course, then you should not lose your unique password or your USB drive. But that is another problem ...

You can download KeePass from here. Save it on your desktop and install.

Create a new password database:

• Click the File menu and click New to create the BD database that contains your passwords.
  
  
• In the Enter the password, enter a long complex sentence intended to protect access to your passwords. For safety, make sure that your password does more than 128 bits and contains letters and numbers.
  
  
• For inclusion of your USB key is also required to enter your passwords, and check the box, connect your USB drive and then select the drop-down list.
  
  
• Finally, click OK.
  
  
• Repeat your complex sentences and then click OK.
  
  
• You need to generate a random key that is stored on the USB drive. Just click on the button Use the mouse as a random source and then move the mouse in any direction until the tray is filled.
  
  
• Click OK. All you then have to add your passwords.

[Santy]

Add passwords:

Several predefined categories let you sort your passwords.

• To create a new item, click the right mouse button on the General Group and click Add a sub-group passwords.
  
  
• Enter the name of the new group and click the Choose button to assign an icon among those proposed.
  
  
• Then click the OK button.

Add a new entry:

• Put yourself in the section corresponding to the password you want to save then click the right mouse button in the right frame of the window. Then click the Add an entry.
  
  
• Then give a title for your password, Tricks Forum PC for example.
  
  
• Enter the username associated with that password in the User field.
  
  
• Then type in the URL field the service address where the password is used.
  
  
• Then enter your password in the Password field. Note ... button that allows you to clear / mask the password. Again, the ideal is to have a password at least equal to 128 bits.
  
  
• Enter it again in the Confirmation field.
  
  
• If necessary, enter your comments in the space provided for that purpose, then finally click on the OK button.
  
  
• You can then repeat the process for all your passwords.
  
  
• When you are finished, click the File menu and click Save to save your comic information. You can then close the software.

[Santy]

Recover password:

• To access the following passwords, run KeePass.
  
  
• Plug your USB key, click the File menu, Open BD and open your database, that is to say database.kdb file located by default in the My Documents folder.
  
  
• Then enter your password, check the box and select And your USB drive. Then click OK.
  
  
• Double click then on the entry you want to retrieve the credentials.
  
  
• The username and password are displayed. To display the password in clear text, click the button ... You can then use this information to identify you on the service.
  
  
• Click OK when finished.
  
  
• You can finally close KeePass when you're done.

Set new passwords:

If some of your passwords are not secure enough (less than 128 bits), this may be an opportunity to modify and make them more complex. To help you choose a new one, you can use the automatic generator Integrated password to KeePass.

• Go to this site to the corresponding service password change and then follow the instructions to change your password.
  
  
• In KeePass, click the button in the Edit window Gen. an entry for the service for which you want to create a new password. The generator of passwords is also accessible via the Tools menu Keepass.
  
  
• In the Options section, check the boxes to the rules that your password must meet. The more you check the box, plus your password will be complex.
  
  
• In the Number of characters, choose the length of your password, 32 for example. Plus it will be, the longer it difficult to break.
  
  
• Then click the Generate button.
  
  
• Generation requires randomness. This can be done by moving the mouse or by entering values from the keyboard. For example, click the button Use the mouse as a random source. Then move your mouse in any direction until the bar is full. You can also simultaneously capture random characters in the appropriate field. Then click OK and then click Accept.
  
  
• To view your new password, click the button ... It is automatically saved in the corresponding entry.