Difference between revisions of "Introduction"

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<p>This edition to PasswordMaker is an extension to [http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ <b><u>Firefox</u></b>], [http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/ <b><u>SeaMonkey</u></b>], [http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/ <b><u>Mozilla Suite</u></b>], [http://www.flock.com/ <b><u>Flock</u></b>] and [http://browser.netscape.com/ <b><u>Netscape</u></b>] browsers.</p>
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==The Problem==
<p>All of the following settings are applicable <b>only</b> to the 1.7.x versions of Passwordmaker. If you are using an older version, please upgrade, and then come back here to learn how to take advantage of all of the unique and powerful features Passwordmaker has to offer.</p>
 
<p>
 
[[Firefox_Edition|<b>Main Firefox Edition Page</b>]]
 
* <b><u>Introduction</u></b>
 
** [[Intro_Abbreviations|Acronyms and Abbreviations used on the wiki]]
 
* [[Getting Started]]
 
* [[Basic Options]]
 
* [[Advanced Options]]
 
* [[Menu]]
 
* [[Account Settings]]
 
* [[Context Menu]]
 
</p>
 
  
== Acronyms and Abbreviations used on the wiki ==
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If you're like most people, you have a few passwords that you use over and over again on many different websites. You know this isn't secure, yet you do it anyway. Why? Because it's difficult to remember a unique password for each and every web site that requires one.
<p>Following is a list of acronyms and abbreviations that are used on the wiki. These are used solely to make it easier to edit these pages and add content (so we don't have to keep typing the same words/phrases over and over).</p>
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<b>
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==Existing Solutions==
* PW = Password
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* MP = Master Password
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Maybe you do use unique passwords, and get around the problem of remembering them by storing them in a spreadsheet or other file. Maybe you even use [http://www.symantec.com/passwordmanager/ one] of the many [http://www.edash.com/gotpassword/gotpassword.shtml password managers] that are available. But now you've centralized your passwords and access to them becomes difficult while at work, a friend's computer, or a public internet terminal. You can't get to your passwords without carrying them around or [http://www.passwordsafe.com/ publishing them on the internet]. Some people even carry a USB keychain with their passwords wherever they go. How inconvenient. And [http://www.passwordsafe.com/ publishing them on the internet]?  Yikes! We need not even mention the security risks inherent with that solution. Even if you trust the company storing the passwords, you can be sure every hacker in the world is drooling over the prospect of accessing their database (Like the LastPass break in of May, 2011 [http://blog.lastpass.com/2011/05/lastpass-security-notification.html LastPass Announcement]).
* PWM = PasswordMaker
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* MPWP = Master Password Prompt pop-up window
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==Our Solution==
</b>
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PasswordMaker solves all of these issues. It is a small, lightweight, free, open-source tool for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, iPhone, Opera, PHP, Windows, OS/X, Linux, Flock, Yahoo! Widgets, Android, Python, and many other platforms & systems. It creates unique, secure passwords that are very easy for you to retrieve but no one else. Nothing is stored anywhere, anytime, so there's nothing to be hacked, lost, or stolen. PasswordMaker has been around since about 2003 and so is a mature, stable, popular solution.
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==How It Works==
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Warning - technical jargon in this section!
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You provide PasswordMaker two pieces of information: a "master password" -- that one, single password you like -- and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL URL] of the website requiring a password. Through the magic of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptographic_hash_function one-way hash algorithms], PasswordMaker calculates a [http://www.rsasecurity.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2176 message digest], also known as a [http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/2000/server/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/2000/server/reskit/en-us/distrib/dsch_key_vzqm.asp digital fingerprint], which can be used as your password for the website. Although one-way hash algorithms have a number of interesting characteristics, the one capitalized by PasswordMaker is that the resulting fingerprint (password) does "not reveal anything about the input that was used to generate it." <sup>[http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/guide/security/CryptoSpec.html#MessageDigest 1]</sup>. In other words, if someone has one or more of your generated passwords, it is ''computationally infeasible'' for him to derive your master password or to calculate your other passwords. Computationally infeasible means even computers [[Media:ZBoxOpenJuly03.jpg|like this]] won't help!
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==What About Portability?==
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For times when you must use one of the rare platforms to which PasswordMaker hasn't been ported, or are using a system where you can't install any software, there's an [http://passwordmaker.sourceforge.net/passwordmaker.html online version] which mimics the extension and works in all web browsers new and old. No downloads or installations are required.
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==Old Site==
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The old PasswordMaker website can be found [http://passwordmaker.sourceforge.net/ here]. Please note it is no longer maintained but is present for archival purposes.

Latest revision as of 20:55, 11 October 2013

The Problem

If you're like most people, you have a few passwords that you use over and over again on many different websites. You know this isn't secure, yet you do it anyway. Why? Because it's difficult to remember a unique password for each and every web site that requires one.

Existing Solutions

Maybe you do use unique passwords, and get around the problem of remembering them by storing them in a spreadsheet or other file. Maybe you even use one of the many password managers that are available. But now you've centralized your passwords and access to them becomes difficult while at work, a friend's computer, or a public internet terminal. You can't get to your passwords without carrying them around or publishing them on the internet. Some people even carry a USB keychain with their passwords wherever they go. How inconvenient. And publishing them on the internet? Yikes! We need not even mention the security risks inherent with that solution. Even if you trust the company storing the passwords, you can be sure every hacker in the world is drooling over the prospect of accessing their database (Like the LastPass break in of May, 2011 LastPass Announcement).

Our Solution

PasswordMaker solves all of these issues. It is a small, lightweight, free, open-source tool for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, iPhone, Opera, PHP, Windows, OS/X, Linux, Flock, Yahoo! Widgets, Android, Python, and many other platforms & systems. It creates unique, secure passwords that are very easy for you to retrieve but no one else. Nothing is stored anywhere, anytime, so there's nothing to be hacked, lost, or stolen. PasswordMaker has been around since about 2003 and so is a mature, stable, popular solution.

How It Works

Warning - technical jargon in this section!

You provide PasswordMaker two pieces of information: a "master password" -- that one, single password you like -- and the URL of the website requiring a password. Through the magic of one-way hash algorithms, PasswordMaker calculates a message digest, also known as a digital fingerprint, which can be used as your password for the website. Although one-way hash algorithms have a number of interesting characteristics, the one capitalized by PasswordMaker is that the resulting fingerprint (password) does "not reveal anything about the input that was used to generate it." 1. In other words, if someone has one or more of your generated passwords, it is computationally infeasible for him to derive your master password or to calculate your other passwords. Computationally infeasible means even computers like this won't help!

What About Portability?

For times when you must use one of the rare platforms to which PasswordMaker hasn't been ported, or are using a system where you can't install any software, there's an online version which mimics the extension and works in all web browsers new and old. No downloads or installations are required.

Old Site

The old PasswordMaker website can be found here. Please note it is no longer maintained but is present for archival purposes.