Password managers are one thing everybody ought to have, however you in all probability don’t need to spend a lot time or vitality fascinated with it. You need to set it, neglect it, and let it do its factor.
But as the varied password managers compete with one another, they’re consistently including new options that preserve complicating what must be easy. Moreover, passwords saved within the cloud are susceptible to information breaches, as we noticed with LastPass and Norton LifeLock.
Fortunately, I haven’t needed to take care of any of that. I’ve been utilizing the identical lo-fi password supervisor for practically 20 years—and because it’s solely offline, I by no means fear about information breaches or password leaks. My password safety is solely as much as me, and I get to benefit from the simplicity of a retro-style interface that by no means adjustments.
I take advantage of an open-source password supervisor referred to as KeePass and I completely adore it. Here’s why I choose it over the larger identify alternate options and why you would possibly need to take into account switching to it your self.
It doesn’t really “know” something
Of the numerous causes I really like KeePass, crucial for me is that it’s a “zero-knowledge” app. It makes use of zero-knowledge encryption when storing my information—passcodes, keyfiles, every part else—in order that even KeePass doesn’t really “know” what I’m storing.
With KeePass, nothing is saved on the cloud; every part is saved regionally on my machine and is encrypted with one single grasp key. Only I do know what my passwords are and solely I can entry them. Even if KeePass had been ever compromised, it actually doesn’t know something.
KeePass
In order to hack my KeePass passwords, you’d have to realize bodily entry to my machine, then hack my mind for the grasp key. And certain, that is technically a “five-dollar wrench problem” for anybody who needs my passwords, however they’d should get previous my French bulldog first.
Jokes about my pet apart, KeePass is as safe as I would like it to be. I’ve layers of redundancy, backups, and extra safety past its base choices—however that’s all right down to me. I resolve it, I management it. I don’t have to concern my password supervisor being hacked or leaking my info, nor do I would like to fret about my passwords being offered to a three-letter company as a result of they coerced the developer.
It’s open-source and reliable
I belief KeePass. Not simply because it’s as safe as I select to make it (see above), however as a result of it’s been round for a very long time and has by no means been concerned in any controversies or embroiled in any scandals. It’s additionally solely open-source, so you may pry into its code and see precisely what it’s doing. It has nothing to cover.
Are there potential methods to breach KeePass’s safety? Of course! The builders even preserve a list of security issues on their site. But these are virtually completely solely exploitable on an already compromised system. If you’ve got malware in your PC, no password supervisor will likely be resistant to additionally being compromised.
KeePass has gained several awards and recommendations, and it’s been independently audited with no security issues found (PDF). It’s additionally been ported to numerous working techniques and platforms, and third-party instruments leverage KeePass’s databases for password safety. I really feel safe realizing that if there have been any main issues with KeePass’s safety, somebody would have referred to as it out by now.
It’s closely customizable
KeePass offers you the instruments you must customise your password safety to your tastes. You have a grasp password as customary, however you may mix or supplant that with a keyfile which you need to level KeePass at earlier than it can decrypt your password database. You can add two-factor authentication, too. That’s simply the beginning of how one can increase your safety and extra.
KeePass helps a large repository of plugins and extensions to broaden its capabilities past its admittedly barebones setup out of the field. There are extensions for importing your passwords from different password managers, plugins for rapidly updating and producing new passwords, and a lot extra.
KeePass
I gained’t element my very own private setup, however suffice it to say that KeePass is as intensive as I can conveniently handle. And although I preserve the retro look of KeePass, I’ve loved experimenting with totally different extensions through the years to reinforce its core capabilities.
That stated, it’s honest to say that KeePass isn’t fairly as feature-packed as another password managers. But in order for you it to do one thing it might probably’t, there’s likelihood there’s a plugin to make it potential.
It appears to be like previous however feels acquainted
As my older pals like to inform me, I’m not that previous. But in my late 30s, I’m sufficiently old to have my preferences and to seek out re-learning new person interfaces considerably of a chore.
While there’s an argument to be made that KeePass appears to be like extremely dated, I really discover its Windows XP-era UI refreshingly acquainted and as easy as I would like it to be.
KeePass
It’s not significantly intuitive by trendy requirements, however once you’ve been utilizing it for the higher a part of 20 years, it looks like second nature. I do know the place every part is—however extra importantly it’s not being overhauled each few variations and making me surprise the place my login info is after I simply need to check in someplace.
If KeePass revamped itself to change into extra intuitive for brand spanking new customers, it will really change into much less intuitive for these of us who’ve been utilizing it for thus lengthy. And moreover, in order for you a special UI, that’s what KeePass’s GUI choices and numerous forks are for.
It grants full management over safety
Most trendy password managers are designed for the bottom frequent denominator. They need to draw folks in with comfort and flexibility—and they need to, as a result of retaining observe of passwords is a royal ache and we must be making it simpler for on a regular basis folks to safe their passwords and accounts.
But that’s not how I need my password supervisor to work. Where different password managers need to maintain your hand and robotically counsel passwords, sync throughout gadgets, auto-fill every part, and so forth., KeePass doesn’t do any of that except I need it to. It doesn’t have that overbearing oversight, guiding me alongside rails, or managing my safety in a method that’s by the guide relatively than by my very own requirements.
KeePass
With KeePass’s hands-off strategy, I can use its robust auto-generated passwords if I need, or I could make them myself. I can have it auto-fill varieties, or I can manually copy and paste every part. I don’t want to fret about its integration with third-party apps leaking my data through my browser—as a result of I simply don’t let it do any of that.
KeePass isn’t only a device that permits higher safety, it additionally offers me full autonomy. Just as I belief it to maintain my login information safe, it trusts me to make use of it in the way in which that makes probably the most sense for me. That might depart you extra susceptible when you don’t use it correctly, however it might probably additionally make you higher protected in opposition to all method of threats that different password managers depart you vulnerable to.
It’s every part I would like, after I want it, and solely extra if I need it to be. That’s the type of password supervisor for me.
Oh, and did I mention it’s 100% free?