KeePassX(http://www.keepassx.org/) is an excellent free cross-platform password manager for storing user names, passwords, urls, attachments and comments in one single database.The database is encrypted either with AES (alias Rijndael) or Twofish encryption algorithm using a 256 bit key.
Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
21–30 of 61 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#22I use 1Password (for OS X and iPhone), which lets me generate random passwords for different sites. It can't auto-fill on the iPhone, so you have to go into the app and write it down somewhere (or remember it) temporarily. It's got syncing and stuff too. http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password
I have a question - is there a password manager out there thats made it possible to access passwords from a computer that isn't yours? I'm guessing not, because of the obvious security issues. Because I'm not always in front of my laptop, or desktop and don't have an iphone I use a system similar to what is here - different passwords for different sites, with a system that helps me remember them.
You can either use a website to manage your passwords or a USB drive. I use keepass to keep some of my passwords on a USB stick...
Not perfect, not 100% secure (nothing is), but always accessible :)
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#23I use http://passwordsafe.com to manage my password. Its good enough for me.
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#24I use passook. Its a perl command line generator for pronouncable passwords of selectable strength. Quick and dirty.
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#25I use SuperGenPass, which hashes the domain of a website with a Master password, so you only need to remember one password. Then, every time you log in, you just enter in your master password, it automatically hashes it, and you get a new password for logging in like af49AgsdU8 EDIT: here's the link http://www.supergenpass.com/
Holy crap, how have I not heard of this?!
I love 1Password, but I wish they supported Opera. I would almost switch to this if it weren't for the need to reset hundreds of passwords.
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#26I take a layered approach. One password for all the stuff that isn't really important like sites I visit a few times and then leave. One password for sites I trust and use on a regular basis, but where a compromised password isn't the end of the world. HN is in this category. Seperate and strong passwords for stuff that matters, like netbanking, gmail, etc. To remember these I have a system set up so that the passwor…
Seconded with gusto.
I've got the one password that I used on all my low-priority stuff--Slashdot, throwaway mail services, etc. It's a terrible password, but at 9 letters it at least has some length and it actually may last against a dictionary attack.
Gmail, my university mail account, and other next-tier things get a stronger password, but still easy to type.
The rather more strict requirements of my school's CS and CE computer systems mean that I have to have complex passwords which change frequently. As such, I have a few that are based on phrases with numbers interspersed (the canonical example, I believe, is "Don't have a cow, man" which becomes something like "d0n'tHac,m" which has the added bonus of looking like "don't hack 'em"). When the policy requires me to change, I can either swap in one of my other extra-strong passwords or, if it remembers previous passwords and I'm stuck, I can just add a number at the end.
My job uses a CryptoCard for most things, but I use a randomly-generated Kerberos password for mail. When it changes, I write it down and stick it in my wallet until I have it memorized, then destroy the paper.
TL;DR: Assign different services to "tiers" and use a different password for each tier, with increasing complexity of passwords corresponding to increasing importance of services.
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have a question - is there a password manager out there thats made it possible to access passwords from a computer that isn't yours? I'm guessing not, because of the obvious security issues. Because I'm not always in front of my laptop, or desktop and don't have an iphone I use a system similar to what is here - different passwords for different sites, with a system that helps me remember them.
You can either use a website to manage your passwords or a USB drive. I use keepass to keep some of my passwords on a USB stick... Not perfect, not 100% secure (nothing is), but always accessible :)
Thanks! I like the USB drive idea (maybe on a keychain) in conjunction with keepass (I'll need to look more closely at keepass - I skimmed over it a while ago). Also I like the supergenpass suggestion below - less to carry, and as long as I have the bookmarklet on a browser, and my master password, easily accessible. More to think about! :)
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#28I use SuperGenPass, which hashes the domain of a website with a Master password, so you only need to remember one password. Then, every time you log in, you just enter in your master password, it automatically hashes it, and you get a new password for logging in like af49AgsdU8 EDIT: here's the link http://www.supergenpass.com/
Holy crap, how have I not heard of this?! I love 1Password, but I wish they supported Opera. I would almost switch to this if it weren't for the need to reset hundreds of passwords.
I know! Where's the news on this been? This sounds awesome - more research, but I'm seriously thinking about switching.
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#29The way I create passwords is to make an algorithm that no one else would know - which creates unique passwords for every site I use, but I can never forget the password since the algorithm stays the same. Example: initials + last 3 characters in domain of site + year of birth + random sequence you know. my + tor + 91 + e72BQo -- HN my + igg + 78 + abwBs$ -- Digg Again, just examples. It works for me and I never forg…
I think I read about this hashing technique here and have been using it ever since. There's no need for any password tools and you simply remember one algorithm. After about a month of usage it takes no time to type in the PW for any site.
I designed mine to be a little more mixed up, so hopefully even if someone intelligent got my password it would just look like an assortment of characters instead of an obvious hash.
Re: Ask HN: How to you create and manage passwords?
#30I use SuperGenPass, which hashes the domain of a website with a Master password, so you only need to remember one password. Then, every time you log in, you just enter in your master password, it automatically hashes it, and you get a new password for logging in like af49AgsdU8 EDIT: here's the link http://www.supergenpass.com/
I've also been using this for ages. Absolute huge time saver. I used to keep vim encrypted files for every site I visited...when the list topped about three hundred, it seemed like time for a change.