I have been trying to find a better way to manage passwords for web sites, application login’s, email, etc…I have been using OS X’s Keychain application for this in the past but I was concerned with the security of the application and the fact that I couldn’t move my password “database” to another non-OS X computer (Windows or Linux). I needed something portable and easy to use as well…once again, I go back to the “could my Mom use it” analogy. After doing some research I found a program that was developed by my security hero Bruce Schneier called “Password Safe”. From the project web site:
“Password Safe allows you to manage your old passwords and to easily and quickly generate, store, organize, retrieve, and use complex new passwords, using password policies that you control. Once stored, your user names and passwords are just a few clicks away.
Using Password Safe you can organize your passwords using your own customizable references—for example, by user ID, category, web site, or location. You can choose to store all your passwords in a single encrypted master password list (an encrypted password database), or use multiple databases to further organize your passwords (work and home, for example). And with its intuitive interface you will be up and running in minutes.”
So I gave it a try and I am happy to report that Password Safe is my new password management program. Things I like about this program:
– Java client available for OS X, Linux and Windows. This gives you the ability to use your password database on multiple OS’s.
– Portable Installation. The database can be placed on a USB thumb drive for portability.
– Secure encryption of the database.
– Random password generator built in.
– Ability to choose your own password policy and set expiration for your passwords.
– “Auto Type” feature.
– Easy to use, free, and open source!
Here is a screen shot of the easy to use interface when creating a new password entry:
<%image(20071206-pwsafe.gif|424|513|Password Safe Screenshot)%>
You can check out and download the application here. Now let’s see how my Mom likes it…I will share those results with you later.