Freeware to Secure and Manage Your Account Passwords

Like what I wrote in the previous post about tips to choose secure passwords, this post is for sharing several freeware to manage or secure your account password. Just select some you like and implement it to enhance your passwords.

#1     Password Strength Checker

This program is designed to assess the strength of your password strings. The instantaneous visual feedback enables to improve the strength of the passwords, with a hard focus on breaking the typical bad habits of faulty password formulation. The application does not utilize the typical "days-to-crack" approach for strength determination. Learn more from its official site here.

#2     KeePass Password Safe

With KeePass Password Safe, you don’t have to remember many passwords (Windows network, your e-mail account, ftp pass word etc). This program is a free password manager which helps you to manage your pass word in a secured way. You can put all your pass words in one database which is locked with a pass word or in a key disk. The databases have been given numbers with the best encoding algorithms currently known (AES Twofish). Learn more from this Wikipedia Page.

#3     Hushkey

It is a simple password manager for Windows that securely stores your passwords on your computer. It uses a secure encryption algorithm developed by Inniosoft and is computer dependent. That means that you can use the application executable on any computer, but you cannot view a password database on a computer other than the one on which it was created. Download the app from freewarefiles.com

#4     Efficient Password Manager

Like the name indicates, this program allows you to manage your different passwords really efficitently. It can help you remember generic passwords, software registration codes, e-mail account passwords, etc. All your password information is protected and encrypted. Though the program doesn't actually log users in automatically, right-clicking on any items allows users to easily copy their username and password, which can then be pasted into the desired location. The program also includes a customizable password generator that lets users specify the desired length and character types of the password. Learn more or download the program from its official site.

During my testing, I also found several other non-freeware very nice and some really have a good word of mouth. Though shareware, the quality and powerfulness are definitely reliable and seems price very affordable. What impressed me include Phaedra Password Manager, Password Keeper Expert etc. All in all, no matter what programs users choose, the key points won't change: the password security and your account information safety.

If more related freeware comes up, information will be updated here. Also is my blog readers have some good and trusted recommendations, I’d be happy to add them :-)

6 Tips to Choose Secure Passwords

Still annoyed about choosing the right password for a specific account, or worried about the security of chosen password? Nowadays cellphones, e-mails, social networks sites, online banking, forums etc are all equipped with such account information which contains user-name or password to get verified or authorized. Needless to say among them the password is most important.

The time I came up with this post idea, I found myself having been making a big mistake – almost set several passwords for most of my accounts which kind of shocked me now! I hope after reading these two articles (this post is for the tips to choose a good password while the next will be freeware to secure passwords), you can reap some benefits and make your passwords more secure. I am going to start with tips to choose a secure password, then a couple of freeware to test and manage the password in my next post.

Well, I guess you probably have already known some knowledge about what is a good or bad combination. But still here some tips are offered because some clever hackers may right hit the shot and guess it.

Specific password for specific account
This point means a lot. Just be a little patient and make full use of your mind power and imagination to create unique password for your high-confidential accounts such as credit card, emails, social site accounts etc.

Password length
Choose a password with a minimum length of 8 characters: ideally, it should be composed of at least 14 characters. The length of password is paramount if you opt for a string of the same type such as letters or numbers.

Take a look at of your keyboard
Combining the types of characters: letters, numbers, and symbols (^,¨,$,!,#/, etc..) Optionally use uppercase letters if the service (eg email address) is case sensitive.

Make Use of Mnemonic
A complex string may be difficult to remember, especially if it is not very meaningful. A simple way to have a complex and lengthy password is to start with a phrase or a word that makes sense. E.g If your passion is "passwordsecurity". You can change the order of letters and insert symbols and numbers:"pass%3%word%3%security".

Change passwords regularly
A frequent password change is a good trick to avoid online fishing (identity theft), don’t let your password be the fish. :-)

Things you should avoid
Avoid using password that is contains too obvious-identification data for example date of birth, place of birth, telephone number etc. Avoid-disclosing personal or professional information on social networks because hackers can use these data to guess passwords (note: there are indeed some ‘clever’ men who do the business according to reports). Avoid the use of linear strings: abcdefg, 123456 etc. Also do not write passwords on paper or documents on your computer.

Hope it helps those who in need come up with more ideas. Also please wait to check my next post about several freeware for testing and managing your passwords.