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Today, if you work on a computer that is connected to the internet and access many websites, you need to enter your username and password (login) on those websites that protect your privacy and the data that you store there. You may have logins for your online bank/s, your email account, your social networks, and so many more. All these require you to remember many usernames and passwords. How do you remember all these? To remember all these, you can either make the passwords simple and easy to remember words or numbers (such as the name of your child, your dog, or your birthday), or write them down and keep them in a safe place. You can use different usernames and passwords for each website, or you can also use only a single, sophisticated username/password combination for all the websites. However, what if somebody somehow gets hold of your password? You have a problem, a serious problem. The thief would have access to your e-mail account, online bank accounts, etc. Well, there is a solution, a completely free no-strings attached program that stores your passwords in an encrypted file that can only be accessed by you with only one password to remember. This program is called Keepass (there are others, but this one is completely free, and it is good). After installing Keepass, a database (small file) is created for you on your local disk (or wherever you decide to store it). When you open the Keepass database file for the first time you will need one password to enter (keep it in a safe place). You enter all your usernames and passwords, and URLs (if you wish), and save the encrypted database on your disk (encrypted means it is garbled and only you can see it when you enter your one password). You can also copy this file to another computer and have all your passwords there as well, and of course you can back it up to a flash disk (just ensure the media is safe, or password-protected; and you do not lose it). The main advantage of Keepass is that you can have strong passwords for your sensitive websites and you do not have to worry you might forget them. When opening a website which needs your username and password, you can drag and drop them from your Keepass window, or cut and paste, or even type them out. I have been using Keepass for some time, and it works as they say it does. A good friend of mine, an expert on computers, gave me this tip. He also keeps all his passwords with Keepass. You can keep your passwords written down on paper until you feel comfortable using Keepass. To download Keepass, go to the link below and read about it, then decide on the version you need. http://keepass.com |