Users do not like to remember passwords and constantly enter them. However, they can not do without. Since the use of simple passwords like “password123” is as unsafe as writing complex passwords, password managers come to the rescue.
Such programs store all your passwords, encrypted and protected with a master password or token. Thus, you need to remember only one password - for password storage. All other passwords you use can be very long and complicated.
It also activates filtering devices, firewalls already present in many operating systems or available on the market. Frequently updates the operating system. Download from the Internet the operating system updates that manufacturers do for free on the Internet.
On the same sites as operating system companies, you can also upgrade your browser and email programs to prevent fraud. If you use a browser other than the one offered by the Operating System, you should be up to date with the latest developments on the official web site of the browser.
If you just need to store passwords in an encrypted place, then the problem is solved with a protected Microsoft Word document. Password managers offer more convenience and you don’t need to copy and paste passwords from a text file.
Below are eight of the best password managers available as services for use on the Internet and as client applications. For each of them, the web version (where applicable), the Windows client, and the Android version on the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 running Android 5.1.1 with support for the fingerprint scanner are tested.
Choose a simple password to save and change. To eliminate the complexity of storing a complex password, select a password in the form of a sentence or a password formed from the first letter of each vocabulary component with the phrase itself. Do not enable "save password" in your browser.
You can find suspicious emails by paying attention to some details. Do not click on links in suspicious e-mails, do not reply to e-mail by entering your personal information by e-mail, do not open attached files, do not report this incident by contacting the bank, otherwise denounce the incident by ordering. The same precaution applies to attached files: never upload them. You risk getting viruses and other malware. . Avoid file sharing over the Internet.
Ultimately, passwords should disappear. In any case, theoretically. However, in the foreseeable future, passwords will continue to be used. Therefore, you need to use strengths that are hard to crack. The applications reviewed here make it much easier to achieve this goal.
1Password 4.6
1Password is in many ways similar to the commercial version of KeePass. The user interface 1Password resembles KeePass, but 1Password is much more polished. The similarity extends to the way data is organized. Like KeePass, 1Password stores username / password pairs in user-defined folders, and allows you to store text records, attached files, or other metadata. User name / password pairs can be automatically inserted into the application or used to auto-fill web forms. All passwords are in the same storage file, protected by a master password.
1Password is better than KeePass in terms of simplicity of functions. KeePass does not initially support automatic form filling in a web browser, so you will have to add plugins to both KeePass and a web browser. In contrast, 1Password automatically recognizes browsers, installs the necessary plugins to fill out forms, and even allows you to manage these plugins from the 1Password interface. In 1Password, it is also easier to manually determine which elements fall into the form fields. In KeePass, this process is not so obvious.
In suspicious situations, the bank warns. If you experience abnormal operations while using the home banking portal or have received suspicious emails, quickly contact the bank. With the advent of new mobile technologies, especially smartphones and tablets, users need to know some useful information in order to protect themselves from computer attacks committed to fool customers who perform these services.
Phishing: Phishing, without violating the security system of the bank, is aimed at fraud with the seizure of access codes to customers' Internet services. This is done by sending an e-mail, which appears to come from a bank asking for a link and entering its own access codes. In fact, following the instructions, the client connects to the fraudster's website, which often imitates the Bank and transmits the personal information that you enter. We recommend that you never follow emails, phone calls or any other means of interaction that require you to enter or communicate your identification codes.
With KeePass, autocomplete can only be used in the active window, or in a window that is manually entered to enter a password. 1Password allows you to select the currently open window in which to autocomplete.
1Password templates can store not only username / password pairs, but also credit card, bank account, and many other types of user data.
Another good feature of 1Password that is absent in KeePass is to check for duplicate and weak passwords. On the View menu, select Duplicate Passwords or Weak Passwords, and you will see the corresponding password lists. The mobile application conveniently supports the function of automatic form filling. Unlocking using a fingerprint scanner is supported on Android, but only on devices running Marshmallow.
Always remember that access to Internet banking service is carried out only through the institutional website of the bank and cannot be reached by e-mail of any type or other channels. Malicious program. In computer security, the term “malware” usually refers to any software created for the sole purpose of causing more or less serious damage to a computer, user data of a computer, or a computer system running on it. The term comes from the abbreviation of malicious English words and software, and thus has the literal meaning of "malware"; Italian is also called malicious code.
Most password managers now offer ways to store structured forms of sensitive personal information. In 1Password you will find formatted templates not only for credit cards, but also for bank account data, loyalty programs, passports, driver licenses, software licenses, common types of online accounts, and so on. You can also include arbitrary metadata for entries such as images or text fields. One of the functions that developers could add is the ability to receive a scanned copy of a document in a general format, such as a driver's license, and also to let the application automatically capture text from the relevant fields without the need for input.
The spread of this software has reached high levels of protection and can be “infected” even by simply surfing the Internet on well-known sites. The earliest effects that can lead to the cancellation of the user can be. Such information is never required by the Bank, either because the Bank itself already owns it, and because everything related to access security or services provided by the Bank is managed and issued by the appropriate branch, the client is never required to change their online security settings. no subscription special module that regulates such aspects.
Price: $ 49.99 per user; The full-featured trial version of 1Password is free to use for 30 days. Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android.
Dashlane 4.0.1
Dashlane is equipped with features that many other commercial password managers have. In addition to storing a username / password pair, Dashlane can store text notes of arbitrary shape (and, optionally, protect them with a master password), store copies of personal data such as credit cards and bank accounts, as well as save relevant personal documents information, such as a passport or driver's license.Dashlane makes it easy to get started with the program, regardless of whether you have switched from another password manager or use such a program for the first time. LastPass users, for example, are encouraged to export their existing passwords to CSV and import them into Dashlane. Similarly, you can import data from other password managers.
Personal telephone number, operating system used, personal letters, personal codes that you have not yet released or received at the branch office, to the act of signing the contract. If you are lucky enough to read a suspicious message, here's what to do.
Use common sense: if the message appears suspicious, rely on common sense, be careful and contact customer support at a toll-free number. Make sure that the source of suspicious emails is accurate, be careful with attachments, and if the email contains a link, remember that by simply clicking on the link you can check the real address you link to.
Other interesting features of Dashlane are reminiscent of LastPass features, such as the ability to share passwords in a controlled way with several proxies. Sharing allows you to grant the recipient either limited rights (read, use), or full rights (read, use, edit).
“Welcome”, “Service Notification”, if the Client has activated the e-mail service to me in connection with specific transactions made through the Internet Bank. In any case, e-mails are always and only informative, and for any necessary interaction they always refer to a direct relationship with an affiliate, in particular, there are no referral links of any kind.
Passwords: how do we remember and store them?
We offer you five applications for storing passwords. Technology has captured our lives, like the Greeks of Troy in the Trojan War, intelligently and imperceptibly. With the difference that the success of technology is not the result of war, but the result of their development and peace. And now their life is much easier with them. Until we have to remember some of the dozens of accounts and passwords that we should use.
Another feature of LastPass is the ability to automatically provide emergency access to your password database. The mechanism is the same. If the trustee places an emergency access request, then there is a predetermined period of time (usually two days) to reject it. Otherwise, it is automatically approved.
Experts advise us to change our passwords every three months to keep our information from the bad guys. We also recommend using a different password for each account. How can so many remember? We offer you an alternative way to save all your accounts and passwords. Of course, a safer version remains an old old laptop, and it’s best to keep all the information in your head. But do you not doubt that there are already applications?
Here are five free and convenient password storage applications.
Allows you to organize your accounts in folders for better organization. For even more security, the application never sends passwords to servers that support it. In addition to passwords, it can also store files. It also stores the data stored in it in a special cloud to which you have access. Remember that online security is not guaranteed everywhere.
Another useful feature is Security Dashboard, reminiscent of the 1Password function. You can see password usage statistics — how many are weak or reusable, how old or potentially compromised — along with specific steps you can take.
Dashlane Security Dashboard allows you to see which of your passwords are weak or problematic, although it’s up to you to fix them.
Most password managers support filling out online shopping forms, but Dashlane also captures receipt data about the operations of many online stores.
However, even if your application is safe enough, and your smartphone is safe with an unlock code and an antivirus program - be careful what information you store in it. Security on the Internet is not guaranteed everywhere, and it is good to have a mind at all times to keep from the bad guys.
Additional information on the topic. One of the best and easiest ways to protect yourself from unwanted attacks in online space is to use dedicated password generators. But what programs are these? These are programs that generate a unique password for each account and application without having to memorize or write these random strings of characters, because they will remember them for you. Password generators are protected from traditional virtual attacks and are a great first step in ensuring your online identity, allowing you to automatically save your data on any platform or program, saving your web domains using you browser plug-in.
After completing the purchase, a dialog appears on the web page through which you conducted the transaction, and you will be asked to save a copy of the receipt in the vault.
Dashlane mobile app is also well thought out. It offers almost all the functionality of the main application, and allows you to use a fingerprint scanner in Android and iOS. For devices without a fingerprint scanner, you can use a four-digit PIN.
To do this, use a browser plug-in that recognizes the username and password fields of the website and then fills them with relevant information. Although there are browsers offering similar solutions, the best password generators usually have several advantages over the browser’s built-in function — encryption, synchronization between various platforms and cross-browsers, support for mobile devices, secure credential exchange, and support for multi-level authentication.
In some cases, usernames and passwords must be copied from the browser's password generator, which increases the security level by requiring a master password before accessing the saved registration information. An important aspect of evaluating different password generators is where your data is stored - some keep your data in place, others rely on cloud storage and synchronization services, while others use a hybrid approach. But the key to determining the most appropriate password generator for you is ease of use and attitude to the storage of your cloud access codes that actually store them on the Internet.
Price: free; Premium version (adds synchronization between devices, sharing, backup and Web access) at a price of $ 39.99 per year; Enterprise version costs from $ 24 per user per year (100 users). Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android.
KeePass 2.31
KeePass, an open source cross-platform password manager, has been widely used for 13 years. KeePass is reliable, it does its job well, and it (or one of its many variations) can work on almost any platform.In addition, KeePass has a mass add-on. However, this and its main drawback: the best features require some work. Beginners will not like to go through all the plugins and configuration options.
The program is open source for free use and with the right combination of plug-ins, it can do almost everything that is required by the password generator. Each group member has the ability to create and manage their own passwords and passwords, as well as gain access to shared storage facilities.
Unfortunately, storage sharing is limited to family or teams. This generator also provides many tools that analyze your passwords and identify potential vulnerabilities, warning you about changing your passwords or finding potential problems when necessary.
KeePass stores username / password combinations for websites or applications protected by a master password, which can be changed at any time. Instead of copying and pasting data from KeePass, the application can automatically enter a username / password in the form field using system shortcut keys. The recruitment process itself is obfuscated, so keyloggers will not be able to intercept the input results.
If you store a password database in the Dashlan cloud, your primary password remains inside you. A free account allows you to access your passwords through one device of your choice. With this password generator, you must comply with the full access code, because the manufacturer is firmly convinced that he can not recover the password in case of loss. This is due to the decision of the developers not to keep a copy of your password in any form.
Shared items may be limited to rights that restrict the ability to change permissions or changes to an item, or with full rights to the data. Data separated by an emergency contact can be fixed to provide specific information to specific contacts. But this is a double-edged sword, because the popularity of the program makes it an attractive target for people with malicious intent and sufficient skills.
By default, KeePass uses heuristic methods — for example, by checking the title of the window currently in focus — to find out which password to insert. You can reassign autodetection to individual records or entire classes of records.
The database, or “storage,” used by KeePass, is in one file, so it can be stored anywhere and easily synchronized between computers via the Dropbox or BitTorrent Sync folder. The basic unit of storage is the username / password combination, but you can add any number of metadata elements (for example, a passphrase to recover the password for this entry).
To make the password database harder to crack using brute force, KeePass allows you to assign a minimum time delay for each unlock attempt.
Be the open-source and open source KeePass program is powerful, extensible, and accessible to virtually any desktop or mobile OS. More advanced features KeePass will require close attention and patience.
When you create a new password entry or edit an existing one, you will see an estimate of the strength of the password you set — the longer the better. KeePass can generate passwords automatically using a set of defined rules. This is useful for passwords that require, for example, letters, numbers, and symbols. Third-party plug-ins can also be used to generate KeePass passwords. For example, the Readable Passphrase Generator plugin turns random phrases into memorable combinations.
Plug-ins are also used to integrate KeePass with third-party software, such as Google Chrome’s web browser. The quality and manner of these integrations depends on the plugin. Connecting Chrome and KeePass, for example, requires two plugins: one for KeePass and one for Chrome. In this case, the installation requires several steps, which some may consider a chore.
Using the most powerful features of KeePass requires reading the manual, but it is well worth the effort. The Triggers feature allows you to automate actions when certain conditions are met, such as downloading a copy of the password database to Dropbox or OneDrive whenever it is saved. Even more powerful, though more complex for most people, is the XML Replace function, which allows you to replace the contents of a database programmatically — say, to automatically update records in accordance with certain rules.
Other KeePass publications, both official and unofficial, appear on almost every computing platform, so you can easily use the same KeePass database on different devices. Many ports have their own functions for a specific platform.
Keepass2Android, for example, can insert passwords using a custom keyboard.
Price: free. Platforms: from Windows 98 to Windows 10; Mono (Linux, Mac OS X, BSD); iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and other mobile platforms through unofficial ports.
Keeper Password Manager 8.3
Keeper Password Manager may not be as impressive as others in this review, and it does not have such a wide range of functionality, but it does its job.It also has several intellectual functions, for example, the function of self-destruction.
The basic functionality of Keeper is in accordance with the functions present in the competition. User name / password pairs can be stored in a folder hierarchy, and password entries can include user-defined fields or file attachments. Installing the desktop client automatically configures browser plug-ins that perform automatic logins on websites. The application is basic and simple, but not very flexible. For example, it has a random password generator, but there is no way to customize it to match the requirements of password length and complexity. In part this can be done in order to reduce the number of potential bugs or the surface to attack the application.
When importing data from another password manager, Keeper is quite strict about the format you are using.
Keeper desktop client will not receive a prize for interface design, but it is functional, and the mobile client works fine.
Keeper's self-destruct feature will protect you if your device is lost or stolen. After five unsuccessful attempts to enter the password, the Keeper entries will be deleted from the device. A copy in the cloud is safe and sound.
The mobile version of Keeper is working fine. On the one hand, the mobile application has a much more elegant and native appearance than the desktop application. This is not surprising, since the desktop application is cross-platform, Java-based, with all the ensuing consequences. The mobile application can use the smartphone’s fingerprint scanner to authenticate (for a payment service) or to identify a person through an external wearable device.
Price: Free for one device; Unlimited version with backup support (added support for multiple devices, cloud synchronization, logins using fingerprints, sharing web applications) - $ 29.99 per year; Enterprise fees start at $ 750 per year plus $ 48 per user per year, and include AD / LDAP integration, audit / policy management tools, and public folders. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire, Nook.
LastPass 4.0.0
LastPass is browser-oriented. It is installed as an extension for a web browser on Windows, Mac and Linux. The user gets access to it through the buttons on the toolbar in the browser, and all data is automatically synchronized with the LastPass servers.When you open a form on a site with a field for which LastPass does not have an entry, it offers to create a new entry and (optionally) generate a password for it. The form fields recognized by LastPass have an asterisk next to them. Clicking this asterisk will bring up a context menu that allows you to generate passwords, manually select what you need to insert, and much more.
Click the LastPass button on the toolbar to open a well-organized drop-down menu with quick access to the most frequently used functions.
LastPass checks the strength of new passwords, and can check the strength of existing ones. The Security Challenge feature checks all your saved passwords (including the master password), and identifies weak or duplicate ones. Problem passwords can be replaced by newly generated ones, although LastPass cannot change passwords on the sites where they are actually used. You will need to do this yourself.
Username / password combinations are not the only data LastPass can manage. It also provides the function of filling out forms to automate the input of addresses, phone numbers, credit card data and other personal information, which is usually typed in a web form. LastPass tries to automatically detect what data is needed for form fields, and usually does a good job.
LastPass works primarily in the browser, which means that it is most closely integrated with websites, and not with desktop applications. However, mobile apps do auto-complete passwords for mobile apps, as well as for websites.
LastPass also provides storage of Secure Notes entries, which are essentially free-form text unrelated to password input data.
The smartest feature to date is Emergency Access, which allows trusted contacts to access the vault. A trusted user requests emergency access, and after a specified period of time (say, a week) passes and you clearly do not refuse access, they can open the storage as their own.
The mobile version of the LastPass application, available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone, has impressive usability features. Like the desktop version of KeePass, the mobile application can auto-complete login and password not only in web browsers, but also in mobile applications. If your phone has a fingerprint scanner, LastPass automatically detects it and uses it for authentication - there is no need to dial the master password. There is also support for third-party two-factor authentication products, such as Yubikey.
Services are always looking for new types of functionality to charge for the premium version.
LastPass Premium accounts ($ 12 per year) come with additional multifactor authentication, a collaboration folder that can support up to five users, and the ability to save passwords for desktop applications. KeePass includes the latest feature by default.
Finally, LastPass offers a corporate edition with single sign-on support, policies and reporting mechanisms, as well as a central administrator console.
Price: free; The premium version (adds synchronization among various devices, multi-factor authentication, shared folders) costs $ 12 per year; Enterprise versions start at $ 24 per user per year (100 users). Platforms: Web browsers on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux; mobile apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone; Mac OS X desktop application.
Password Safe 3.38
Security expert Bruce Schneier decided to do more than just write about password insecurity. He developed Password Safe, a simple open source application that allows you to securely store passwords, automatically enter them when necessary, and only requires one password to access all.Password Safe's user interface and behavior resembles KeePass. You are viewing username / password entries in a hierarchical tree, and you can use hot keys to automatically enter passwords in any application, not just in web pages. One function of KeePass is not enough in Password Safe - auto-enter system hot keys, with which you can select a username / password and enter it into the window based on its header.
Password Safe's design and behavior is reminiscent of KeePass. Although its feature set is smaller, Password Safe is useful and well thought out.
Password Safe may not have such extensive capabilities that many of the password managers have, but its functions are smart and useful. The "password policy" feature allows you to create rules for generating passwords. You can specify how many characters, what kind, or not to use characters that can be confused (the number “1” against the lowercase letter “i”), and so on. The database backup operation starts automatically when new records are saved, so that older versions of the database (and their records) are saved. Password Safe also has built-in support for YubiKey security devices.
The biggest disadvantage of Password Safe is that it is not very flexible. Firstly, there is no possibility to use plug-ins, therefore any additions to the set of program functions are completely on the developers. Secondly, in Password Safe there is no (although, perhaps, in accordance with the design) direct integration with web browsers using plug-ins on the browser side.
Price: free. Platforms: Windows; beta for Linux; third-party ports for iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Java, Python and other platforms.
RoboForm 7.9
RoboForm is one of the longest-lived programs of its kind, originally created to fill out forms in web browsers and stand-alone applications. Like KeePass and 1Password, it is suitable for storing and managing passwords. And like 1Password, it is equipped with a set of good intellectual features.When installed, RoboForm automatically detects the browsers used and integrates with them using plug-ins. From now on, passwords entered into forms are automatically saved in the database. The password writing process is quite intelligent: when RoboForm offers to save passwords from a web page, it makes several assumptions about how to mark the result of a password capture - by URL, by page name, by user name plus URL, and so on. Thus, records for several subdomains of the same site are automatically stored separately and are not confused.
If your computer or laptop has a fingerprint scanner or a smart card slot, RoboForm can use it as an authentication mechanism instead of a master password. The master password can be stored in a “secure storage”, so authorized users automatically get access to the password store.
Please note that if you reinstall Windows or delete a user account, this storage will be deleted, but you will still be able to access the backup copy in the RoboForm storage using your master password. KeePass has a version of this feature, except that losing a user account also means losing access to the repository).
The RoboForm interface may be slightly less advanced than its competitors, but its feature set is up to date.
Previous versions of RoboForm used a toolbar that popped up below or above the browser window. For Chrome, at least, the panel has been replaced by the native plugin, but the external toolbar is still available.
In addition to the username / password pairs for websites, RoboForm also stores browser bookmarks, personal data, and free-form text notes (Safenotes) in the same way as 1Password and LastPass. Custom fields can be added to many types of records in the RoboForm database, but not for all of them. Safenotes, for example, limits you to a single text field.
No modern password management application is complete without a mobile version, and RoboForm has it. RoboForm does not yet support the smartphone’s fingerprint scanner — a major omission in the modern mobile world — although it allows for fast unlocking with a four-digit PIN.
RoboForm also has a web version called RoboForm Anywhere, which allows you to synchronize the password database on all devices for $ 9.95 per year.
Price: RoboForm Desktop - $ 29.95; RoboForm2Go - $ 39.95; RoboForm Everywhere - $ 9.95 per year. Platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android, Windows Phone.
SplashID Safe 8.0.9
SplashID Safe is a good program, but it is limited in comparison with competitors.SplashID Safe is similar to LastPass in that its free version is mainly used as a web application. If you want to use versions for PC and smartphone and synchronize them with your SplashID cloud account, you need to purchase a Pro account for $ 1.99 per month or $ 20 per year. For those who want to use a desktop application to manage passwords in various applications, this is tedious, especially given the many competing services with desktop applications that cost nothing.
Some good ideas are implemented in SplashID Safe. When creating an account, your repository is optionally filled with a selection of various data to give you an idea of how to use the service. Another nice thing: the “login pattern” function, akin to that on smartphones, can be used in the web version or the desktop version. The SplashID mobile app is functionally similar to the desktop app, although it does not support the Android fingerprint scanner. This feature works only in iOS.
The web interface used for the free version of the product has certain problems. Formatting is sometimes incorrectly displayed when the browser window is resized, with side effects such as the buttons disappearing one after the other.
Price: Free for one device; Pro version (supports multiple devices, synchronization between different devices, backup, sharing) - $ 19.99 per year; The command version is $ 5 per user per month. Platforms: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Web.
One password to manage all
Which of these password managers should I choose? Obviously, you have a lot of opportunities.KeePass, despite the complexity, still heads the list of free and open source solutions, thanks to the prevalence of plug-ins and broad platform support. For those who want a free and open solution, but easier to set up, Password Safe will do.
1Password uses the basic idea of KeePass and is even better and easier to use, although it costs money. Dashlane is even more elegant, with a convenient security audit function, but unlike many competitors, its web version is only available as part of a paid package.
RoboForm has been competing for years (adding browser plug-ins, fingerprint authentication, and so on), and offers many features in the free version. The best part of Keeper is the mobile version. Keeper is a product designed primarily for business users, but nonetheless offers many amenities for everyone else.
And, finally, for those who want to put website passwords in order, LastPass is an excellent option to start with, given that its basic version has a browser plugin, and it has a well-designed mobile application. SplashID is designed in the same way, but much of what it does works better with competitors.
The fact that the number of passwords that need to be remembered is definitely greater than the place for them in the head, probably all active users of the Network have encountered. And one thing - the passwords from the services and sites that you use every day - these are somehow postponed. And another - from some forum to which you get once a couple of months, and even less. This is generally impossible to remember!
What to do? You can, of course, assign one password everywhere - but this poses big security problems: someone got into their hands the base of some service where you are registered - and you can say goodbye to all digital life: they will lead everything from mail and ending with an account on Steam.
Well, this option is dismissed. Then accurately record all the passwords in a text editor and store in one file, but there is the same problem: what if the file is lost? Well, it must either be stored in the cloud service, so that all passwords are at hand, or manually synchronized. And this file can also accidentally get into the hands of not very decent people - and then you know. In general, it is also unsafe.
So, to memorize everything and remember an insane amount of passwords by heart? It won't work either! Usually, the user remembers only those passwords that he uses all the time. The rest quickly fall out of memory, especially if they are safe enough - with a change of registers, numbers and symbols. In general, in order to make life easier for the user, there is a special type of program - password managers. The main objective of this application is to collect, encrypt and securely store information about all your accounts, making it inaccessible to attackers and accessible to you. In this article, we will look at the five most famous password managers that make life easier for millions of users around the world.
⇡ LastPass
One of the most famous password managers is LastPass, the brainchild of the American company LastPass Corporate. Among the amenities, programs usually mark its simple interface, multiplatform, strong encryption of passwords that occurs on your device, and only then the data is transferred in encrypted form to the company's servers.
The application works on both Windows and Linux, Mac, as well as on mobile devices and tablets for iOS and Android, on smartphones running Windows Phone, BlackBerry and even FireFox Mobile. In addition to the “home” version, there is also an enterprise version, which has the function of integration with the local domain controller and setting access policies. It also stores data on all employee accounts in corporate online services. For example, using LastPass, it is possible to customize the access of employees to the Office 365, Google Apps for Work and other business services on the Internet that the company uses.
To start working with LastPass, you need to download a special program and register in the system. After downloading the installation file, run it, after which the installation window will open. Select the “Advanced settings” option to set the program settings - in particular, you can set the application location directory, specify which browsers will have LastPass extensions installed, and set additional privacy settings.
After installation, the application offers to log in to an existing account or create a new one. When registering with the service, you must specify your valid email address and set a master password. According to the developers, master password is needed very good remember and enter very carefully. If you forget it, then at best you will receive a phrase-reminder. The administration’s administration service cannot read the password itself, which we are warned about. The requirements for the master password are as follows: at least eight characters; it is also recommended to use a combination of big and small letters and numbers.
After registration, the program will find the passwords in the browsers repositories and offer to import them. Browse through the list and click the Import button if you want to import account data. Optionally, you can opt out by clicking "No, thank you." It should be noted that when importing passwords are removed from the storage of the browser, and now the authorization in the services will pass through the LastPass service.
Now we launch the browser that you normally use and install the add-on. Then we go through authorization - to do this, click the program icon, and in the window that opens, enter the email address to which you registered, and that same master password is the only password that you now need to remember.
In the “Storage” section there are all data about your accounts, for convenience, sorted into category folders. Clicking on a folder will open a list of passwords contained in it. Each password can be viewed by selecting the appropriate option next to it.
In the account information edit window, you can change the password, account location folder, add notes, as well as configure additional parameters — for example, you can enable automatic logon when logging into the site.
Another interesting feature of the application that I would like to draw your attention to is in the section “Profiles filling profiles”.
Profile: enter your personal information
Here you can create and fill out a user profile, providing information about yourself - last name, first name, middle name, home address, mobile number, credit card information and much more. Now when registering on sites you will not need to enter all this many times: just select the appropriate profile - and all data will be filled in automatically.
Automatic filling at registration on mail.ru
When creating a password, you can use a generator that offers a difficult combination of letters, numbers, and symbols for hacking and selecting something like sZoxpYi1DZY9, as shown in the figure below. Using the settings, you can set the length of the password and which characters you want to use in it.
In the premium version, as mentioned above, there is support for synchronizing passwords with mobile devices. After installing the application, you must log into LastPass under your account, after which information about all your accounts stored in the system will be downloaded to your mobile device.
You can also view information about each account, edit it or go to the website for which this account was created, and log in.
In general, LastPass makes a very good impression - it is a convenient and functional program that has many useful features. The minor drawbacks can be attributed to the absence in the free version of the ability to synchronize accounts with tablets and mobile devices - but the developer must somehow monetize its service.
⇡ StickyPassword
The next program I would like to talk about is Sticky Password from the Czech company Lamantine Software. The application is available on several platforms and is also able to synchronize your accounts from different devices. According to the developers, Sticky Password can store all your passwords in an encrypted vault, as well as automatically fill out forms and credit card numbers for quick use. Your information is protected by a traditional master password, which you need to remember. As in the case of LastPass, the creators of the system report that they do not know our master password, so you need to memorize it well and not forget it. Of the more interesting features in the program, there is support for encryption of the AES-256 standard, biometric authentication and the ability to synchronize the passwords of your devices via Wi-Fi. Also, the authors promise the correct operation of the application in the four most popular operating systems and sixteen browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer.
Sticky Password is distributed by subscription. When you first install the program you will be prompted to create an account, after which you will receive 30 trial days of premium. A month later, a Sticky Password account automatically becomes free. Traditionally, premium users have several advantages over normal ones. For example, only paid users have the ability to synchronize (both via Wi-Fi and through the company's cloud services), as well as save backup copies of the password store in the cloud. This is convenient if, for example, you reinstalled the operating system or purchased a new device — you can still quickly recover all the passwords in the system. The price of a premium account per user is 1 190 rubles for one year, for an unlimited premium license you will have to fork out 5 990 rubles
Installing Sticky Password is not particularly difficult - you just need to download the program from the official site and traditionally run the installation file. After installation, the application must be configured.
In the next step, you will be prompted to log in to your account or create a new one, for which you will need an email address and a master password. In general, everything is standard here too.
In the next window, we confirm the master password and tick off that this same master password is not saved anywhere and only the user knows it. Next, the program will offer to synchronize data through cloud services Sticky Password. If you have multiple devices, select the option with synchronization.
Then you need to select the browsers in which you want to use Sticky Password, then the program is ready to work.
After receiving the passwords from the browser's storage, the program will remind you about 30 days of a free premium subscription, and then, by clicking the "Start" button, you can read a small instruction on how to use the program and finally launch the application's working window.
In the section "Internet Accounts" is a list of user accounts found on your computer. Each entry can be edited or deleted, you can also add a new one. Entries are invited to group in folders. Of course, you can create new folders and copy account data into them.
Section "Internet Accounts"
Another remarkable feature of the program is the ability to save passwords not only for sites, but also for applications. It is possible to choose a program and set a username and password to log into it. If the program is not visible in Sticky Password, you must select it through the browse menu.
As in LastPass, the application has the ability to add personal data to fill out forms - this part should be looked for in the "Business cards" section. Click the button “Add business card” - and in the opened window you will need to fill in information about yourself. In the future, it can be used to fill profiles when registering on various resources.
Section "Business cards"
Add information about yourself
In browsers with the installed Sticky Password, an extension appears - with the help of it, it is possible to quickly go through the authorization process on sites whose accounts are located in your password store. To do this, open the menu options "Internet accounts", and then select the desired site. After that, the browser will open the selected resource and add the necessary login information.
⇡ Kaspersky Password Manager
Kaspersky Password Manager is a joint project of Kaspersky Lab and Lamantine Software. Password Manager is based on Sticky Password, so the programs are very similar ... well, in all. The app is shareware. The free version can only store up to fifteen accounts, to store more accounts, you must purchase a paid version. It is worth noting that the program is not sold separately, it can only be purchased as part of Kaspersky Total Security or Kaspersky Small Office Security.
However, despite the fact that Password Manager is included in these applications, it can also be downloaded separately from the Kaspersky Lab website. The installation of the program is basically the same as the previous ones: run the executable file and follow the instructions of the installation wizard. Unlike Sticky Password, here accounts are synchronized with Kaspersky Lab's servers, and to enable synchronization, you must specify either My Kaspersky account in case of home use as part of Kaspersky Total Security, or your company account on the special Kaspersky Lab portal. for organizations.
In general, the set of functions Password Manager almost completely repeats Sticky Password, so we will not consider it in detail. After installation, the program also adds extensions to your browsers. With these extensions, you can go through a quick authorization on the sites on which you are registered, and add your data for quick registration, so as not to enter them every time.
⇡ Dashlane
Another password manager I would also like to draw your attention to is Dashlane. On the one hand, it cannot be said that it has any unique functions that were not discussed in the previous sections of the review. On the other hand, it is quite convenient and easy to learn. In addition to the "home" version, there is a corporate, designed to work in the organization. Traditionally, users are offered two account options - regular (free) and premium. The free version has a number of limitations - the user will not be able to synchronize account data between devices and make backup data to the cloud service.
To start using the program, go to its official website and download the application. Installing Dashlane is quite simple - run the executable file and after installation we will see the welcome window. Select the option to create an account and enter the necessary data.
When creating an account, we, of course, will offer to create a master password. The program will remind you that only you know it and you need to remember the password very well. After all the preparatory steps, the Dashline working window will open.
The password store is located in the Passwords section. As in other programs, passwords can be organized - create folder categories for the subsequent sorting of accounts. Accounts can be added to the system in two ways: through the program and in the browser, if you enter the data of a record that is not yet known to the system.
Clicking the right mouse button on the account icon brings up a context menu with which it is possible to perform actions on it - change the password, delete, change the category and give access to another user. In the Security Dashboard section, the program places an overall rating of account security and suggests changing passwords for accounts that, according to the results of the analysis, are too simple and can be cracked by hackers.
In the Secure Notes section, secure notes are added, which, like in similar programs, will be located in a special storage section.
In the Payments section there is information about a credit card or a bank account, in addition, it is possible to see the purchase history here. In the Team section there are options with which you can share data with other users, for example, with your family or colleagues. If you leave any personal data on the sites, you should pay attention to the IDs section, where you enter passport, driver's license and other personal documents in order to use them if necessary.
Similar to other applications, Dashlane installs extensions for browsers with which you can log in to sites and add new accounts to the system. The plugin recognizes when you enter credentials, and offers to add account information to the program.
The advantages of Dashline include a user-friendly interface, ease of use, and the ability of the system to analyze your passwords and recommend replacing them with the most reliable ones. But there are also disadvantages too - there is no support for the Russian language, and the most important functions are available only in premium, in the free version there is not even the ability to synchronize passwords between devices.
⇡ 1 Password
Well, completes our review 1Password. The application differs from all listed by advanced encryption algorithms, the lack of its own cloud service and licensing. 1Password is distributed on the shareware model - there is no subscription option here. After installation, you can use the application for free for thirty days, after which you must purchase a license once.
We will consider the Windows version of the program as part of this review. The installer program can be downloaded from the official site. After installation, the initial setup wizard will start. Select the option I am new to 1Password, the save password storage window will open. We choose a save folder - by the way, it can be not only a folder on a local hard disk, but also a network directory, or, for example, a folder in a network file storage service (for example, DropBox, OneDrive and other similar services). Also, the program has the ability to synchronize data via Wi-Fi - conveniently, if you have several devices, between which you need to synchronize account data. For synchronization, the system generates a special password that must be entered on other devices.
1Password makes a very good impression. The advantages of the application, of course, include a simple and intuitive interface, reliable data encryption, relatively low price and the ability to store the password file not in the cloud service, which is imposed by the developer, but in any storage of your choice. If DropBox, OneDrive and other similar services are in doubt, then the data can be placed, for example, on a corporate or home server on the local network, by opening a folder with a password file for a specific user (or users). Master password should be very well remembered - the data is stored only for you, which means it will be impossible to recover it. In general, 1Password can be recommended to those users who do not trust cloud services and who prefer not to pay for a subscription, but to purchase a one-time license.
⇡ findings
The table shows the comparative characteristics of the password managers discussed in the article. In general, they are similar, but it is precisely the differences in functionality given below that will allow everyone to make their choice.
