Keep track of your passwords

These days it seems that just about every website ­ – whether it’s a shop, email service or even a search engine – ­ requires a username and password. For the best security it’s important to use a different password for each one but this can lead to another problem: forgetting passwords. With so many different login details to memorise, many of us have to reach regularly for the ‘forgotten password’ link.

The best solution is to make use of a tool called a password manager. This runs on your computer and stores all the usernames and passwords required for every website, hiding them all behind a single password that you need to remember. In this feature we’ll explain how to use one.

A game of risk
With dozens of websites requiring a password, many of us resort to using the same password for many sites. However, doing this can be a significant security risk. If hackers or a rogue employee steal your credentials from one site – ­ an email service, perhaps ­ – they could use them to make purchases from online stores, or even log into your bank account.

To avoid this risk you should have a unique username and password for every site you’ve signed up to on the web. The problem with this, of course, is remembering them all. For this reason, several tools have been created to do the job for you.

A password manager is a program that stores all your passwords away. It can be accessed by one single login so you only need to remember that one. Many such programs are available, including Keywallet and Passpack. In this article, however, we’ll explain how to use Keepass, a free and open-source password manager.

Getting started
To get started, download Keepass from our website ­ – click the ‘Free download’ link near the top of the page. Save the installation file to a convenient location ­ – the Windows desktop is normally suitable. Once the file has been downloaded, double-click it to begin the installation process.