Digital Adventures of Cyril Pauya

This is by far the most useful freebie I have ever encountered.  If you answer Yes to even one of these questions, then you definitely need this freebie:

• Do you have multiple accounts and passwords to maintain?
• Do you often forget your password and go to a “Retrieve Password” page?
• Do you use a password file and save it in a “secured” directory?
• Do you need to generate a random secure password with alphabets, numbers, and other characters?
• Do you use the same password for two or more or all accounts?
• Are you tired of looking at the ceiling for your passwords?
• Do you post your username with password using post-it notes in your monitor?
• Do you have a “secretary” whom you call in the middle of the night for a password?
• Do you ask your pet for your password?

Okay, okay, the last three items are not really part of the questions - you don’t do any of those do you?

Here is a screenshot of Keepass Password Safe (click on it for a larger picture):

And here are some of its kewl specifications:

Kewl Windows Freebie	Keepass Password Safe
Website	http://keepass.info/
License	Free and Open Source!
Operating System	Windows, Linux (using Mono)
Versions	1.x (does not require Microsoft .Net Framework)
	2.x (requires the Microsoft .Net Framework)
Features	Strong security, multiple user keys, portable and no installation required, random password generator, and many more…

General Usage of Keepass Password Safe
I use the 1.x version and put it on a “portable apps” directory of my computer.

When you launch Keepass, you will be asked for an all-access password for your database.  You may also choose to pair it with a password key for better security but I don’t do this.

Keepass uses a single file for your password database and is encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish).  You may copy the password database to a “safe” location for backup.

I maintain 2 server computers and 20+ user accounts.  I would use Keepass to generate/update my passwords and put them on a sub-group.  If I want a separate password database for the above accounts, I just Export the sub-group to a new password database.

The best feature is of course access to your password when you need it: you just select the sub-group, right-click on an item, then select Copy Password to Clipboard.

I suggest you visit the Keepass features page for more features that may be of use to you.

Why is Keepass Password Safe kewl?

1. Currently, I have 32 groups and 152 entries in my password database.  Imagine remembering all that!
2. I sometimes need to generate random secure passwords, so I just popup Keepass, add a new entry then copy the password.
3. Quick access because it minimizes to the system tray.  It’s just a double-click and a password away.  No need to look-up the ceiling, call my “secretary” or ask my cat.

Credits (screenshot) and Reference: http://keepass.info/
Related article: Kewl Windows Freebies