My password manager
I have always been using KeePass on my notebook as my password manager till recently when I moved back to KL. Read on to find out why.
The problem;
I have 3 windows based machines that I use regularly. 2 at home and 1 for the road. They all have access to the net. Firefox with Google’s browser sync extension is what I use to keep my bookmarks, urls and forms synchronized between them.
All the login details for my banking sites and secure work sites are stored in my trusty KeePass. When I get back I normally work on my desktops. I have to export the KeePass database from my notebook and import it into my into my notebooks and every time I have a new login added I have to repeat the export/import process all over again. This prompted me to start seaching for an alternative solution. Online password managers!!
The Solutions,
I found 2 possible solutions. PassPack and Clipperz .
PassPack
PassPack has been around for some time now(Dec 2006). It is feature packed,secure and I love the simple,functional and clean interface. The learning curve needed to get used to PassPack is almost 0 to none.
Some of the features that stand out to me are;
- Auto Lock – PassPack will automatically save and lock my passwords with the packing key whenever the page if left ideal for 2 minutes.
- Anonymous – I never provided my email addresses.
- Password generator – cool built in password generator.
- Scramble – Scrambles my password field on command when someone is passing by. On by default.
- AES – AES is the encryption method approved by the US Gov.
- Import/Export – Ability to easily import and export my password list. I used this in import from KeyPass.
- PassPack Blog – Covers everything about PassPack.
I have using PassPack for a few days now and it’s awesome!!
Clipperz
Clipperz is the new kid on the block who is out to give PassPack a run for it’s money. It boosts a colorful and simple interface but I feel PassPack has a simpler interface.
Cool features;
- Cool interface – The interface is simple with a good color scheme.
- Direct Logins – Single sign on. Allows me to log in directly to a site directly provided yo have the site credentials already saved.
- Bookmarklet – I can easily add a new website to my Clipperz.
- Anonymous – No email address require.
- Encrypt by browser – Data is encrypted by my browser before being sent to the Clipperz servers. Clipperz only stores my encrypted data.
What’s lacking;
- Import/Export – No import feature yet. Export only exports to a printable version. I have to use the offline copy feature to save an offline copy.
- Mozilla only – Only mozilla based browsers supported. Mozilla, Sea monkey and Firefox.
- Java script – Clipperz uses opesource based cryptographic functions. Read more at Ajaxian. Who will I blame and take to court when my passwords are exploited?
- Direct Login – Honey pot for hackers to reverse engineer? I think so.
Clipperz is a good tool. They are not quite there yet but I believe with other solutions out there like PassPack the developrers at Clipperz will surely push the envelope on futher enhancements.
What’s the difference between Clipperz and Passkey?
I have made my choice. Sorry KeePass and Clipperz but going with PassPack for now. It has convenience, functionality and security on it’s side and those are the 3 factors I looked at.
Which will you choose? I suggest all 3 and see which works best for you.
Sources:
Clipperz – Competition for PassPack?
PassPack: Holding Your Keys for the 2.0 Kingdom
Clipperz Crypto Library and Online Password Manager
Clipperz and PassPack : Online password storage is still a fear
4 Responses to “My password manager”
Author comments are in a darker gray color for you to easily identify the posts author in the comments
I love the table comparison, which summed up why I stuck with PassPack much better than my article did.
The above table comparison is from the Passpack blog and is three months old …
Several things changed on the Clipperz side during the last 3 months. Just to mention one of them: Clipperz is now available in English, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, and, next week, in Chinese.
Regards,
Marco
Clipperz co-founder
Thanks for the update Marco. I really appreciate it.
To be fair I will run both Clipperz and PassPack for another month or so and then update my post with my findings.
no hard feelings
Hello.
I’m glad you like the simplicity of PassPack. I personally work very hard to keep it as clean as possible. Thanks for the compliments, they mean a lot.
On the comparison table – yes, that’s from an older post. I’ll try and get a new comparison up in a few weeks. In the meantime, I’ll put an “old post alert” up on the blog.
Make sure you keep watching the blog for updates. We’ve got quite a few coming up.
Cheers,
Tara
PassPack Founding Partner