Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Sooner or later, every user or administrator faces a security problem when storing multiple passwords. You will either prefer to create one universal password for all occasions, or you will store all your passwords in some unreliable, unprotected place. Therefore, if you are concerned about the current situation and are worried about the safety of your passwords, you will have to look for a solution.
I recommend you a free and reliable solution. The KeePass program has a wide range of functions, it is free and, importantly, it is open source. The latter eliminates the possibility of embedding code to track your data and steal passwords. The convenience of using this program is that you will only need to come up with and remember one password and you can use it to access the database of all your passwords. Plus, for complete protection against unauthorized access, KeePass has the ability to create a key in the form of a file, without which it will be impossible to access the password file in the future.
Installing KeePass
To install Kipas, go to the download page (here). On the website you can choose 2 program options: Classic Edition and Professional Edition. To operate the first version of the program, you will not need to have Microsoft.NET installed, which is required for the second version of the program. I recommend installing Professional. Plus, it is possible to install a portable version on your computer. Portable is preferable because it leaves no traces and does not create entries in the registry. It just works.
You simply download the portable version, unzip the archive to the location from which you plan to run the program. Since I work from different places different computers, I found a solution for myself to use Google Drive for storing the program and password file. With this organization of the program's location, all changes and settings are saved for any computer, no matter where I work. Just take and move the program folder to the Google Drive folder. You can also use any cloud service to store the program and file with passwords. If you like it better removable media, you can use a flash drive. This is exactly what the Portable version of the program has.
How to Russify KeePass
After installation, the first thing you need to do is Russify the program. Russifying KeePass is very easy. Download the translation file for your language from this page and, in the case of the portable version, simply save the file from the archive to the folder with the program (the file looks like Russian.lngx). Please note that you need to select a file to download that corresponds to your version.
After this, launch the program, select “Change Language...” in the “View” menu and select Russian in the window that opens (the available language will only appear if you downloaded a file with Russification correct version and put it in the program folder). The program will prompt you to restart it. You agree and this completes the Russification.
Creating a Password Database
The next step is to create a password database. This special file, which actually stores all your data on accounts and passwords with all settings. You can create multiple files that store passwords. And each will have its own password. This can be done if several people work on the same computer under one account and everyone needs access to their passwords. And then in this case, each user opens only his own file and enters his password for access.
To create new base data, go to the “File” item and select “New...” or you can immediately press the key combination Ctrl+N. In the window that opens, select the location where your password file will be stored. As I said earlier, this file can be stored on any medium (DropBox, Google Drive, Yandex Drive, or simply on a flash drive). Select a name for the file and click “Save”.
The next step is to create a master password to access your password database. To protect your data, KeePass offers 3 different ways protection. Each of them can be used separately, or for complete and maximum protection, use all three or at least two methods. The third way (Account Windows entry) I don’t use it, so I won’t recommend it to you either.
To protect a file:
- We come up with and create a main password for access. This is the password you will need to remember once to access all passwords. Enter the password in the field and in the second field “Repeat password:” enter exactly the same password. If the passwords match, the input field will be highlighted in white; if they do not match, the input field will be highlighted in red. The bar below (Quality Rating) indicates how crack-resistant the password you have created is. Try to ensure that the stripe is, if not complete, then at least in the green zone.
- If you want to have a check using a key file, click on the “New” button (number 4 in the figure) and select a location to store this file. Again, this can be any medium, but logically it should be a different medium from the one on which the password file is stored. For example, a flash drive that you carry in a key wallet and a file with a database is stored in cloud storage and you remember the password for it. However, keep in mind that you will not be able to recover your password and if you lose the key file, you will also lose access to the database and will not be able to recover it. I only use the first method of protection. I came up with a very complex password and remembered it.
- You can also add an account as an identification method. But in the case of, for example, the portable version of KeePass, you will not have access to the password file from a different computer than the one on which you created it.
The next step, the program will offer to configure some password database parameters. I usually leave all settings unchanged. For better security, you can increase the number of encryption cycles. The larger the number, the longer it takes to open the password database. The time also depends on the power of your computer. The number of cycles can be selected for a specific computer based on the calculation that the database will open for 1 second. Just click on "Calculate for second delay". For my work computer, this number was over 14 million cycles. If you specify this parameter, then for less powerful computer(for example, you open the database on a weak old laptop), the opening time will not be 1 second, but much longer. I leave the remaining tabs as default.
Setting up and creating entries
After successfully creating a database, the program will automatically open this database and example records will already be created in the window. You can safely delete them or study them as examples.
The program window has 3 main areas that you will constantly use:
- This is an area for grouping your data into folders. With their help, you can see all records or sort by a specific group. From the very beginning, it is best to decide on the structure of your data for storage. For example, I sort by folders in the following form: my sites, money, email, hosting, ftp, etc.
- The second area is the records that are in the folder you selected on the left.
- The third area is information about the entry that is selected.
To create new folder press right click mouse on the folder within which you want to create. And in the drop-down menu select “Add group” (1). In the window for adding a group, in the “General” tab, enter the name (2) and for convenience, you can select the icon (3).
The next step is to create a record directly that will store all the data about the login, password and other fields for quick access to them. To create, right-click in the field with records and select “Add record...” or you can press the key combination Ctrl+I.
A window will open for filling in data with many bookmarks. The main fields to fill out are in the first tab.
Fill in the “Name” field as the profile name for the created password. The name will be your login username and password, respectively, the password. The link field is either the site on which you use your login password or a link to the executable file if you enter your login and password in the program and not on the site. Later in the article I will show with an example how to use this.
If you are creating an entry for an existing account with a password, you simply enter existing password. To check the correctness of the entered password, simply click on the button with 3 large dots and the program will display symbols instead of dots. If a new entry is created and you need to come up with a password, then it is best for you to use the password generator that is built into KeePass.
To open the password generation tool, click on the button with the image of a key and a gear to the right of the “Repeat password” field. To use this tool without opening the record creation form, simply select “Tools” -> “Password Generator...” from the menu.
Using this form, you can create passwords as complex as you need. And thanks to the fact that you no longer need to memorize them, feel free to generate and use the most complex combinations.
In the settings of the password generator, you can set which symbols, uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and even special characters to use in generation (1) . The password length is also indicated. After setting the settings, you just need to open the “View” tab and select any of those offered in the list (3) . If you need to exclude any character from the generation, this can be done in the “Advanced” tab (2) .
After filling out all the data on the first tab, go to the most interesting, convenient and useful tab “Auto-dialer” (it is because of this feature that I fell in love with this particular program). Auto typing allows you to automatically fill in the fields for entering a website or program by pressing the key combination Ctrl+Alt+A.
For autodialing, go to the “Autodialing” tab and check that autodialing is turned on.
- This switch selects which sequence to use when filling out login forms. For the most effective use, it would be best to immediately think through the folder structure and configure the sequence for each folder. In this case, the new entry will inherit the sequence that is defined for the folder.
- We add a target window so that the program can determine which login and password entry to use. More on this below.
To set the general autodial sequence for a folder:
- Right-click on the folder
- Select “Change group” from the drop-down list
- Go to the “Auto dial” tab
- Click on the wand to generate a sequence
- Set the required sequence. It is set as follows: in the “Placeholder” window, select it by clicking on the corresponding entry. The list is very large and it is possible to create almost any sequence. In my case, the following will happen: the title of the entry (Title) will be added to the field, then pressing the Tab key, then login, Tab, password and finally Enter.
After this, if the “Inherit autodial from group” switch is selected when creating a record, this sequence will be used. If you need to change the auto-dialing for any of the entries in the group, select “Use the following sequence” and specify the required one.
How to use KeePass
Using the example of creating entries to log into a website in Google browser Chrome and to connect to FTP server Using FileZilla I will show you how to create entries and use them. I always use KeePass to log into my websites.
- In the left folder window, create a folder of entries for logging into sites. In the folder, click create a new entry.
- Knowing my login and password, I write the name of the site in the title, the login in the name, and the password in the password, respectively.
- Go to the “Auto-dial” tab and set the switch to the “Inherit auto-dial from group” position. By default, the autodial contains a sequence that in most cases is suitable for filling out login forms.
- The next step is to indicate to the program the login window so that KeePass can automatically determine which entry to use for (in our case, this is a tab in Google Chrome with open page my site). Please note that the window and site must be open and active. Click the add button.
- In the “Target window” drop-down list, find the element we need and click “Ok”. There can be several target windows for one record. And for each you can set a sequence. This is convenient if you use the same login and password for different sites and each requires its own sequence.
- The target window should appear in the list. Click “Ok” and save our database by clicking on the blue floppy disk.
The record has been created and we just need to check its functionality. We open our website with a login form, place the cursor in the login field and press the key combination Ctrl+Alt+A. If everything is done correctly, KeePass will automatically insert your login and password information and click on login.
In order to use KeePass to insert a login and password into a program (for example, such as ), you must use the “Name” field and change the input sequence.
- For convenience, we create a folder for FTP connections. When creating a folder, in the “Auto-Dial” tab, switch to the “Use the following sequence” position.
- Using the “Magic Wand” button to the right of the field, set the following sequence as in the image.
- In the created folder we add new entry to connect to FTP and in the “Name” field indicate the FTP address that your hosting provider gave you for connection. The Title field will be used in the typing sequence as (Title). Those. kipas will take the data from the “Name” field (in my case it is 192.168.1.200) and substitute this value in the FileZilla field as an address. We fill in the login and password as in the previous example.
- In the “Auto-dial” tab, when creating a record, we specify to inherit auto-dial from the group. This is convenient if you have a lot of entries in a folder and need to change the sequence. You simply change the folder settings and all entries will inherit it.
- Add a target window by clicking the “Add” button and selecting from the list (to do this, run the necessary program FileZilla)
- Click “Ok” and check the functionality.
I heard that you can hack KeePass. Tell me how to do it right use KeePass. How tune and how to protect your passwords so that they don’t get hacked?
Good question. As you understand, within the framework of this article I will not talk about how to choose best manager passwords, we did all this in previous articles. In this article I will try to talk in detail about all the intricacies of setting up and using the manager KeePass passwords.
- Password manager KeePass
- Download KeePass
- KeePass versions
Password manager KeePass
KeePass Password Safe - free utility(password manager), the program allows you to store all your passwords using one master master password.
The application supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES (256-bit), Rijndael) and Twofish encryption algorithms. There is a portable version that does not need to be installed and can be stored on a flash drive. In addition, the utility has been translated into 40 languages. The program supports exporting the password database to different TXT formats, HTML, etc.., as well as import from different formats.
Download KeePass
There are several fraudulent sites on the Internet that, under the guise of the KeyPass program, offer to download fake malware for money. One such site is _keepass.de. This site has no relation to the KeePass developer.
You can download KeePass from the official website using these links. Version for:
KeePass versions
What is the difference between the Classic, Professional and Portable versions?
- Classic Edition - light version.
- Professional Edition is a more functional version. Cross-platform. Can work without recompilation in Linux, Mac OS X. To run this version, you need the .NET Framework installed on your computer.
- KeepPass portable this version does not require installation and can be launched from a flash drive or from an archive.
How to Russify KeePass
Russification of KeePass is not a complicated process. To download the translation, go to the official translations page.
Download the translation you need. In our case it is Russian. Unzip the “Russian.lngx” file and put it in the program folder.
After that, launch the program, go to the View tab and select the Change Laguage option from the drop-down menu.
In the window that appears, select the added language. In my case it is Russian.
KeePass Russification The program will prompt you to restart, after which the program interface will be in Russian.
There are a huge number of users who use this password manager, but not everyone knows how to configure the program correctly. And configuration in the case of this program is a very important matter. Correct setting will help protect your passwords.
Safety
The Security tab has some very important settings to note.
- Block when inactive
- Block during general inactivity
- Auto clear clipboard
- Block when using remote access
- etc.
See the image below where I have highlighted the most important settings to check to ensure the best password manager security.
Everything else is up to you.
Policy
On the "Policies" tab, you can allow or prohibit certain operations. Such as:
- Printout of passwords
- Export information
- Copying information
- Changing the master password
- etc.
Setting up KeePass: Policy In this tab you can disable everything depending on your needs. For example, if you do not need to print information from the program, you can safely disable this option by unchecking the box. The same goes for using plugins and exporting records.
The more unnecessary things you disable in this tab, the more secure your password manager and the passwords you store in it will be.
Additionally
The “Advanced” tab contains quite a few very important settings, such as:
- Remembering and automatically opening recently opened password files
- Automatic key file search
- Remembering the directory in which the password file was last located.
- etc.
Setting up KeePass: Advanced KeePass must be used correctly. Here are the basic rules to follow when using a password manager:
- The first and most important rule is never to use easy password to access the password file.
- Do not use the KeePass master password on other sites and services. The original password is only for KeePass.
- Always have two copies of the password file on different media in case of loss or theft. And in different places, apartments, houses in case of fire.
- Never keep a password file on your desktop.
- Do not use additional password manager plugins.
- Do not leave the password keeper open for a long time.
KeePass plugins
Now about the plugins. There are a huge number of plugins that you can download from the official
Keepass is a free password manager. It will be useful primarily for those users who are forced to create separate passwords for each service. At the same time, it is worth understanding that storing passwords and logins in the browser’s memory or somewhere on a sheet is unreliable, since they can be accidentally lost and/or stolen by attackers.
Using Keepass to Store Passwords
The program interface is in English by default, but it can be translated into Russian by downloading and installing the Russian language. The program also has several convenient tools for working with passwords. Let's look at the process of interacting with it in more detail.
Download and installation
It is recommended to download the program from the official website of the developer, since the manager is open source, therefore, a version with built-in spy code may be distributed on resources with a bad reputation.
On the website you can find three versions of the program:
- Classic Edition is a standard version of the program that has reduced requirements for hardware and software components of the computer. For example, it is not necessary to have the Microsoft.NET package installed for it to work;
- Professional Edition - it weighs more compared to previous version, and also requires the installed Microsoft.NET package for its operation. At the same time, the user has access to some improved tools and capabilities;
- Portable portable version, downloadable in a ZIP archive. It can even be launched from a flash drive. The main advantage is that it does not leave any records of its work on the computer, so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your personal information.
The installation process for the first two versions is almost the same. You check or uncheck certain items, accept license agreement, wait for the installation to complete and use it.
In the case of the portable version, instead of installing, you only need to unpack the ZIP archive wherever it is convenient for you. You can install this version of the program on a USB flash drive or even virtual disk and store your passwords there. Also the portable version works fine on others operating systems eg Android, Linux Ubuntu, etc.
In terms of working with programs, there are practically no differences.
Translation of the interface into Russian
If you are not satisfied with the English-language interface of the program, then you can change it by adding a special file to the main directory of the program and selecting Russian in the settings. The Russifier file has the following name - "Russian.Ingx". On the official website, it is advisable to select a file that is compatible with your current version.
To download and install the Russian language for your version of Keepass, do the following:
Creating a Password Database
In Keepass, you can create several files that will serve as password databases. This is convenient in cases where several people use the computer and everyone needs their passwords to be saved, but not in one shared file, which all users will have access to. The created file can be protected from unauthorized access and saved on any medium. However, in the case of the Classic Edition and Professional Edition there may be some restrictions.
The process of creating a password database file might look like this:
Working with the database
Once the creation of the database file is complete, it will be opened in the main program window. By default, it will already contain some information for informational purposes. You can change or delete them.
To create your own posts, use these instructions:
Login to your account
After creating a record with a password and login in the database, try logging into your account on a particular site. To do this, open the login form, place the cursor in one of the fields and press the key combination Ctrl+Alt+A. If everything is configured correctly, you should be able to log into your account. It is worth understanding that depending on the settings set above, the login process may take some time.
Keepass is an excellent program for saving passwords and logins, but those who are not well versed in computers may have a question about how to use this program. An example of using the program, as well as its main functionality, was reviewed.
Each user of the global network has to remember dozens of logins and passwords for various sites. Of course, some people make do with one code for all occasions, but this is, at a minimum, unsafe.
But there is another option - to use a special password storage KeePassX. With help this application you will be able to collect all passwords into one secure database and retrieve them from there whenever possible. So, let's figure out how to use KeePass and how to install the program on different operating systems?
KeePass password manager is universal application, which is available on different operating systems. This number includes both desktop operating systems Linux, Windows, MasOS, and its mobile variations.
Installation on Linux is done regular means or through the terminal. In the latter case, you need to open command line and enter sudo apt-get keepassx. To install an application on Ubuntu, Linux Mint and other distributions based on Debian or Ubuntu, there is no need to connect third-party repositories.
To install the program on Windows and MacOS, you need to go to the official website and download the installation package for your OS.
In the installation wizard, you will need to go through the standard steps - selecting the directory where the program files will be stored, as well as creating a shortcut on the desktop.
Russification of KeePassX
But how to Russify KeePassX? More old version the program required additional installation language packs, and the option with the “X” prefix already supports the Russian language. If during installation you accidentally selected the wrong option, then you need to go to the menu "Tools" and select here "Settings". On the main tab you will find the Language item, where you will need to set the Russian language as the default.
How to use KeePassX?
1. Create a password vault
Setting up KeePass begins with creating a storage location where all passwords will be stored. To do this, in the main program window go to the menu "Vault" and select the item "New Storage".
Next, a window will appear in front of us in which we need to set a master password that will be used to access the saved database. Remember that the security of your data depends on its complexity, so when creating it, be sure to choose an option with mixed case letters, numbers and, preferably, that they are not combined with significant dates in your life and do not have name abbreviations.
To enhance protection, you can also connect a key file. You can choose your own Text Document or generate a new one. When you have completed operations with passwords, click "OK".
Our next step is to save the storage to a file so that you can save it and transfer it to another device at any time. Go to the menu again "Vault" and select "Save storage", then specify the path where the file will be stored and give it a name.
2. Saving your KeePassX password
To add a new password to the database, you must click on the corresponding icon in the main program window or go to the menu "Records" and select item "Add new entry".
In the window that appears, set the name of the entry and enter all the necessary data, such as login, password and link to the site. Here you can change the recording icon, as well as set the duration during which the entered data can be used.
3. Use of passwords
So, we've learned how to create notes, but now it's time to learn how to use them. There are a lot of options here, among which the user can choose the most convenient one.
Open the site where you want to log in. You can do this directly from KeePassX using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+U or through context menu- paragraph "Open URL". You can simply enter the link in your browser.
Next, copy the username using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + B or select the corresponding item in the context menu. Paste the copied data into the login field on the site. Repeat the same operation with the password, only it applies here combination Ctrl+C.
Another option is to use auto-input. To do this, open the required site in your browser or through Ctrl+U, then in the KeePassX context menu, select “Carry out auto-input” or, after selecting the desired entry, press the combination Ctrl + V.
After this operation, all data will be automatically entered into special form on the website, and the user will only have to confirm the correctness of the login and password.
4. Grouping passwords
When the number of sites used is difficult to count on fingers, it is advisable to group entries in advance according to certain criteria. To do this, go to the menu item "Groups" and select "Add group", then enter the name of the category and confirm all actions with the button "OK".
You can also add a group to KeePassX through the context menu right in the main program window. It is worth noting that when you delete a category, all folders will automatically move to the trash, which will be created automatically.
5. Restore and export storage
KeePassX users can export any storage to a CSV file, which is supported by many other programs as well mobile devices. To do this, go to the menu "Vault" and select "Export to CSV file» . Importing a previously saved recording is done through the same menu, but you need to select the appropriate item. KeePass is synchronized with the database either manually or automatically. In the latter case, you need to go to the program settings and choose the most convenient option for yourself.
conclusions
In this article we looked at how to use KeePass. This is a convenient password storage that has an automatic filling function, as well as the ability to export the database to separate file. All data is stored encrypted directly on your computer, and if necessary, it can be moved using a removable drive.
- After installation, launch Keepass2Android. You can now open your existing password database. The program supports database files created using the Windows version of KeePass 2. If you don't already have a database, click Create New Database.
- First, specify the location of the password file. You can customize the path suggested by the application through "Change Location". In addition to local storage, for example on a smartphone's SD card, the application offers various cloud services to choose from. if you have Account Dropbox or OneDrive, you can also put the file there. You will need to enter your credentials. Locally or in the cloud - either way, you still have to select the target directory and assign a file name.
- Now comes a very important step: you save your password file using your master password. This combination should be quite long and complex and kept secret by you. If you know the master password, you have access to all KeePass2Android passwords. Therefore, use at least eight characters and a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Once you have entered the Master Password twice, click “Create Database.”
Password management and use
Once you've created or opened a database, you can enter new passwords and easily transfer them into login fields on websites or other applications.
- For better structuring, all access data is organized into groups. To create a new new password entry, first switch to one of the predefined groups. Or create new group. Click the plus sign in the lower right corner and then click on the folder. Enter a name and confirm with “Ok”.
- Switch to the appropriate group by clicking the group name. Then select the plus sign and key in sequence to enter New Password. Depending on the input type, different templates are available. For example, there are custom forms for addresses Email, credit cards or Wi-Fi networks. For regular recording with username and password use "default entry".
- Enter at least a username and password. For websites, it is also recommended to include a URL. Save the recording by clicking on the floppy disk icon at the top of the window.
- If you now want to use the saved password, then the username and password must be pasted one after the other via the clipboard into the corresponding login form. Open the required entry in Keepass2Android. Then tap the three dots after the username and select Copy to Clipboard. Go to the application where you need to enter the details and paste the username from the clipboard into the correct field. Then go back to password management and repeat the procedure for the password.
- Important. The clipboard is cleared at regular intervals by Keepass2Android for security reasons. This prevents other processes from using the cached data. Additionally, the application is blocked if it has not been used for a certain period of time. You can adjust the time periods yourself. To do this, go to the “Keepass2Android” settings menu and go to the “Security” section. Here you can set values for clipboard lock and app shutdown time.
In order to manage your passwords on your PC, you will need a version
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