Use KeePass to Store Your Passwords Securely
Use KeePass to Store Your Passwords Securely
Have you ever worry about your your e-mail account, your homepage's FTP password, online passwords (like website member account)...etc. are stolen by some hackers and finally lead to fatal damages? Here I will show you KeePass, a free open source password manager, which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key file. So you only have to remember one single master password or select the key file to unlock the whole database.
KeePass
Note: In this example, we are using KeePass 2.09, but you can still download the Classic Edition as well, which you may want to do so you can use certain plugins.
Installation is straight forward and after installation, the first thing is to create a new password database by clicking on File New.
Then you will need to come up with a Master Password which is the only one you will need to remember moving forward. Make sure and pick a strong password with several characters, symbols, and numbers (It can be an entire phrase, sentence, or whatever you want it to be with virtually any characters you want.) .
On the other hand, you can use a Key File which a master password in a file. This makes it so you need not remember a long Master Password (but if it gets lost and not backed up you're out of luck). Also, you can keep the file in a secret location other than your local hard drive, malware attacks can find it if it's openly available on your hard drive.
Now you can type in your passwords. To start it, just right-click the open window on the right and choose "Add Entry".
Fill in the identifying fields and the password for the entry.
Also you can choose to have KeePass generate a random one rather than typing in your own password.
After an entry is made, you can right-click to get a menu of different options.
When you exit out of KeePass, you will need to save your changes. Check the box below to "automatically save..." when exiting out.
Note: If someone were to get a hold of the Database, they will need the Master Password you created to do anything with it. Keep in mind your Master Password is really important and make sure it is something no one can guess. Your date of birth, favorite pets name, 12345...etc. are horrible passwords and can be guessed easily.
Another useful utility in KeePass is the Random Password Generator which will create a random password with as many or few types of characters you want to include.
Plug-ins
There are several interesting plugins which add additional functionality and compatibility with other apps.
Note: Actually not all Plugins will work with all versions of KeePass.
In the Plugins section, you can configure them and find more by clicking on the link.
More Password Tips
Personally, here are some other tips to follow for creating strong passwords and keeping your accounts secure.
- Don't use real words and make sure there are upper and lower case characters, numbers, and symbols included in your passwords.
- Don't use the same password for multiple accounts. If someone gets your email password and you use it for your online banking or other sites, unfortunatelly the accounts will be compromised.
- Don't give your password to anyone. Alought you think you can trust your spouse or best friend, it just adds to the potential of it being compromised in some fashion.
- Don't write your passwords down and leave them under your keyboard or in some other obvious places.
- Don't use short passwords, make sure they are at least 8 characters.
- Use a password management tool like KeePass or if you use Firefox to manage them, make sure you create a Master Password to protect them.
- Try to change your passwords periodically. Usually in an office, the IT staff requires you to change your login and other passwords every 3-6 months. Similarly you also need to change your passwords for your online accounts as well. If you know your password(s) have been compromised, then change them at once so your accounts can't be accessed.
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