If you’re worried about keeping your passwords secure, then KeePass may be the solution for you.
- What is KeePass?
- Create your database
- How KeePass works
- Accessing secure passwords
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What is KeePass?
KeePass is a password manager for Windows. It allows you to store login details and passwords in a secure database. This way you won’t have to keep creating new passwords if they have been mislaid or forgotten.
2. Creating your database
The first step is to create a new password database. To create one, click ‘file’ and then ‘new’ in the main menu, a window will appear, which prompts you for a master password. The password you enter here will be the only password you will ever have to remember from now on.
Note: The password should be long and built up of mixed characters. Keep in mind that if somebody was to guess your password, they could access all the passwords that are stored in your database.
3. How KeePass works
On the left of your KeePass screen, you can see ‘entry groups’ and on the right you will see ‘password entries’. The password entries are grouped together into the password groups you see on the left, depending on which group on the left you have selected, you will be shown the entries in this group in the right view.
KeePass will have created a few default groups for you, but you are totally free to delete them and create your own ones.
You can add, edit and delete groups. For example, you could create an ‘email group’ and add each staff members’ login and password details.
4. How to access secure passwords
Firstly, open up Word, Notepad or a similar package.
Right click on the user that you require the details for, select copy password or copy username. Paste the details into Word, Notepad or a similar package and the password details will appear unhidden.
The details will only stay in your clipboard for 12 seconds, so if you do not paste it within that period you will have to copy it again.