October 2018

From Cloud Password to KeePass Password 🔐

Here I present the open-source vetted KeePass Password Safe; Popular among those that defiantly do for themselves.

p@ssw0rd1

Perhaps you’ve subscribed to a trial online password manager and it just doesn’t feel right. If you don’t trust your passwords on the cloud then this article is for you. If you’ve tried a cloud based password managers and received your first monthly bill then this article is for you.

The insanity of modern password requirements

Obviously remembering passwords is not a sustainable practice particularly for knowledge workers and IT professionals. If you are reading this article then you've probably evolved past the yellow sticky notes or the p@ssw0rd1 stage so I will skip the remedial stuff.

Here I present the open-source vetted KeePass Password Safe; Popular among those that defiantly do for themselves. KeePass has all the features that you would expect, but most important are that it is portable, open-source and ridiculously easy to use. Portable means that you can put the entire app on a hardware encrypted USB. Open source ensures that there are no back-doors and that it has been scrutinized by the cryptologist community.

So here we are, KeePass is looking like something that might be good for you but you’re already entangled in a cloud solution. What to do?

You are in luck because KeePass supports plugins and in particular plugins to migrate from both browsers and cloud based password managers. Nice.

A comprehensive list of all plugins can be found on the KeePass site: Recommended Plugins

For example if you would like to migrate from 1Password to KeePass get the latest plugin here: 1Password to KeePass Migration

Be safe.

Programmatic Prose

Radio Free Chicago

A past word remembered

in spite of the keyboard

Keypad Encrypted USB Best Practices and Safety

Enter The PIN before inserting the USB into its slot. Do not enter the PIN while the Keypad Encrypted USB is connected.

Close all applications before hibernating, suspending, logging off or ejecting the USB device. This is an important step especially if you are using a software cryptocurrency wallet, KeePass or Key Quest Vault.

Put the USB Device back in its capsule when not in use. You should remember to seal the Capsule and store it in a safe place.

Make sure your are not being watched or recorded by a surveillance camera. Be aware of your surroundings and look behind you.

Do not plug the USB into a suspicious computer. Avoid using a computer that may be infected with Spyware. If you must use an unknown computer, boot from a Trusted Operating System, and use the Virtual Keyboard to enter passwords.

Do not use a found USB device. If a USB drive magically appears do not plug it into any computer. Curiosity killed that particular cat. Be cautious if your USB drive was out of your possession for any period of time.