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A password manager is a computer program that allows users to store and manage their passwords [1] for local applications or online services such as web applications, online shops or social media. [2] A web browser generally has a built in version of a password manager. These have been criticised frequently as many have stored the passwords in plaintext, allowing hacking attempts.
Password managers can generate passwords [3] and fill online forms. [2] Password managers may exist as a mix of: computer applications, mobile applications, or as web browser extensions. [4]
A password manager may assist in generating passwords, storing passwords, [1] [5] [6] usually in an encrypted database. [7] [8] Aside from passwords, these applications may also store data such as credit card information, addresses, and frequent flyer information. [3]
The main purpose of password managers is to alleviate a cyber-security phenomenon known as password fatigue, where an end-user can become overwhelmed from remembering multiple passwords for multiple services and which password is used for what service. [3]
Password managers typically require a user to create and remember one "master" password to unlock and access all information stored in the application. [9] Password managers may choose to integrate multi-factor authentication [9] through fingerprints, or through facial recognition software. [10] Although, this is not required to use the application/browser extension.
The first password manager software designed to securely store passwords was Password Safe created by Bruce Schneier, which was released as a free utility on September 5, 1997. [11] Designed for Microsoft Windows 95, Password Safe used Schneier's Blowfish algorithm to encrypt passwords and other sensitive data. Although Password Safe was released as a free utility, due to U.S. cryptography export restrictions in place at the time, only U.S. and Canadian citizens and permanent residents were initially allowed to download it. [11] As Google Chrome became the most used browser, the built in Google Password Manager became the most used password manager as of 2023 December.
Password managers come in various forms, each offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. Here's a breakdown of the most common types: [12]
Some applications store passwords as an unencrypted file, leaving the passwords easily accessible to malware or people attempted to steal personal information.
Some password managers require a user-selected master password or passphrase to form the key used to encrypt passwords stored for the application to read. The security of this approach depends on the strength of the chosen password (which may be guessed through malware), and also that the passphrase itself is never stored locally where a malicious program or individual could read it. A compromised master password may render all of the protected passwords vulnerable, meaning that a single point of entry can compromise the confidentiality of sensitive information. This is known as a single point of failure.
While password managers offer robust security for credentials, their effectiveness hinges on the user's device security. If a device is compromised by malware like Raccoon, which excels at stealing data, the password manager's protections can be nullified. Malware like keyloggers can steal the master password used to access the password manager, granting full access to all stored credentials. Clipboard sniffers can capture sensitive information copied from the manager, and some malware might even steal the encrypted password vault file itself. In essence, a compromised device with password-stealing malware can bypass the security measures of the password manager, leaving the stored credentials vulnerable. [13]
As with password authentication techniques, key logging or acoustic cryptanalysis may be used to guess or copy the "master password". Some password managers attempt to use virtual keyboards to reduce this risk - though this is still vulnerable to key loggers[ citation needed ] that take the keystrokes and send what key was pressed to the person/people trying to access confidential information.
Cloud-based password managers offer a centralized location for storing login credentials. However, this approach raises security concerns. One potential vulnerability is a data breach at the password manager itself. If such an event were to occur, attackers could potentially gain access to a large number of user credentials. A 2022 security incident involving LastPass exemplifies this risk. [13]
Some password managers may include a password generator. Generated passwords may be guessable if the password manager uses a weak method of randomly generating a "seed" that all passwords generated by this program. There are documented cases, like the one with Kaspersky Password Manager in 2021, where a flaw in the password generation method resulted in predictable passwords. [14] [15]
A 2014 paper by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that while browsers refuse to autofill passwords if the login page protocol differs from when the password was saved (HTTP vs. HTTPS), some password managers insecurely filled passwords for the unencrypted (HTTP) version of saved passwords for encrypted (HTTPS) sites. Additionally, most managers lacked protection against iframe and redirection-based attacks, potentially exposing additional passwords when password synchronization was used across multiple devices. [16]
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Various high-profile websites have attempted to block password managers, often backing down when publicly challenged. [17] [18] [19] Reasons cited have included protecting against automated attacks, protecting against phishing, blocking malware, or simply denying compatibility. The Trusteer client security software from IBM features explicit options to block password managers. [20] [21]
Such blocking has been criticized by information security professionals as making users less secure. [19] [21] The typical blocking implementation involves setting autocomplete='off'
on the relevant password web form. This option is now consequently ignored on encrypted sites, [16] such as Firefox 38, [22] Chrome 34, [23] and Safari from about 7.0.2. [24]
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It uses encryption for secure communication over a computer network, and is widely used on the Internet. In HTTPS, the communication protocol is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or, formerly, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). The protocol is therefore also referred to as HTTP over TLS, or HTTP over SSL.
Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, deprive access to information, or which unknowingly interferes with the user's computer security and privacy. Researchers tend to classify malware into one or more sub-types.
A web browser is an application for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on a range of devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. In 2020, an estimated 4.9 billion people have used a browser. The most-used browser is Google Chrome, with a 64% global market share on all devices, followed by Safari with 19%.
Internet security is a branch of computer security. It encompasses the Internet, browser security, web site security, and network security as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet is an inherently insecure channel for information exchange, with high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing, online viruses, trojans, ransomware and worms.
Ransomware is a type of cryptovirological malware that permanently blocks access to the victim's personal data unless a ransom is paid. While some simple ransomware may lock the system without damaging any files, more advanced malware uses a technique called cryptoviral extortion. It encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. In a properly implemented cryptoviral extortion attack, recovering the files without the decryption key is an intractable problem, and difficult-to-trace digital currencies such as paysafecard or Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are used for the ransoms, making tracing and prosecuting the perpetrators difficult.
Keychain is the password management system in macOS, developed by Apple. It was introduced with Mac OS 8.6, and has been included in all subsequent versions of the operating system, now known as macOS. A Keychain can contain various types of data: passwords, private keys, certificates, and secure notes.
Data Protection Application Programming Interface (DPAPI) is a simple cryptographic application programming interface available as a built-in component in Windows 2000 and later versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems. In theory, the Data Protection API can enable symmetric encryption of any kind of data; in practice, its primary use in the Windows operating system is to perform symmetric encryption of asymmetric private keys, using a user or system secret as a significant contribution of entropy. A detailed analysis of DPAPI inner-workings was published in 2011 by Bursztein et al.
KDE Wallet Manager (KWallet) is free and open-source password management software written in C++ for UNIX-style operating systems. KDE Wallet Manager runs on a Linux-based OS and Its main feature is storing encrypted passwords in KDE Wallets. The main feature of KDE wallet manager (KWallet) is to collect user's credentials such as passwords or IDs and encrypt them through Blowfish symmetric block cipher algorithm or GNU Privacy Guard encryption.
Form grabbing is a form of malware that works by retrieving authorization and log-in credentials from a web data form before it is passed over the Internet to a secure server. This allows the malware to avoid HTTPS encryption. This method is more effective than keylogger software because it will acquire the user’s credentials even if they are input using virtual keyboard, auto-fill, or copy and paste. It can then sort the information based on its variable names, such as email, account name, and password. Additionally, the form grabber will log the URL and title of the website the data was gathered from.
LastPass is a password manager application. The standard version of LastPass comes with a web interface, but also includes plugins for various web browsers and apps for many smartphones. It also includes support for bookmarklets.
Multi-factor authentication is an electronic authentication method in which a user is granted access to a website or application only after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism. MFA protects personal data—which may include personal identification or financial assets—from being accessed by an unauthorized third party that may have been able to discover, for example, a single password.
Mobile security, or mobile device security, is the protection of smartphones, tablets, and laptops from threats associated with wireless computing. It has become increasingly important in mobile computing. The security of personal and business information now stored on smartphones is of particular concern.
KeePass Password Safe is a free and open-source password manager primarily for Windows. It officially supports macOS and Linux operating systems through the use of Mono. Additionally, there are several unofficial ports for Windows Phone, Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices, which normally work with the same copied or shared (remote) password database. KeePass stores usernames, passwords, and other fields, including free-form notes and file attachments, in an encrypted file. This file can be protected by any combination of a master password, a key file, and the current Windows account details. By default, the KeePass database is stored on a local file system.
Browser security is the application of Internet security to web browsers in order to protect networked data and computer systems from breaches of privacy or malware. Security exploits of browsers often use JavaScript, sometimes with cross-site scripting (XSS) with a secondary payload using Adobe Flash. Security exploits can also take advantage of vulnerabilities that are commonly exploited in all browsers.
Master Password is a type of algorithm first implemented by Maarten Billemont for creating unique passwords in a reproducible manner. It differs from traditional password managers in that the passwords are not stored on disk or in the cloud, but are regenerated every time from information entered by the user: Their name, a master password, and a unique identifier for the service the password is intended for.
SpyEye is a malware program that attacks users running Google Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox and Internet Explorer on Microsoft Windows operating systems. This malware uses keystroke logging and form grabbing to steal user credentials for malicious use. SpyEye allows hackers to steal money from online bank accounts and initiate transactions even while valid users are logged into their bank account
Web Authentication (WebAuthn) is a web standard published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WebAuthn is a core component of the FIDO2 Project under the guidance of the FIDO Alliance. The goal of the project is to standardize an interface for authenticating users to web-based applications and services using public-key cryptography. WebAuthn credentials are sometimes referred to as passkeys.
Credential Management, also referred to as a Credential Management System (CMS), is an established form of software that is used for issuing and managing credentials as part of public key infrastructure (PKI).
Bitwarden is a freemium open-source password management service that stores sensitive information, such as website credentials, in an encrypted vault. The platform offers a variety of client applications, including a web interface, desktop applications, browser extensions, mobile apps, and a command-line interface. Bitwarden offers a free US or European cloud-hosted service as well as the ability to self-host.
Microsoft Autofill is a password manager developed by Microsoft. It supports multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, and Google Chrome browser. It is a part of Microsoft Authenticator app in Android and iOS, and a browser extension on Google Chrome. It stores users' passwords under the user's Microsoft Account. It can import passwords from Chrome and some popular password managers or from a CSV file. In Microsoft Authenticator app, it requires multi-factor authentication to sign in which provides an additional layer of security. The passwords are encrypted both on the device and the cloud.