The Best Password Managers to Choose. Including free and paid.

We assume you are new to password managers. Therefore, you must be looking for that all-in-one tool. That is, that solution for all your password needs. Below, we have chosen the best password managers on the market. Security, usability, price, and functionality are considered. We also show good and at the same time free possibilities.

Bitwarden

Bitwarden is a solution that encodes all your information. Moreover, we are talking about an open-source software. Consequently, its infrastructure can be improved by developers from all over the world. Starting with a free offer, Bitwarden provides all the basics to secure passwords safely. For the subscription fee, it warns about the weakness of the passwords. It also includes additional security data for your accounts. The premium plan is available for the payment of $10 for a one-year subscription. This way you can enjoy premium features such as two-factor authentication, security reports and many more.

NordPass

Developed by the same people responsible for NordVPN, the well-known VPN option. NordPass is a newcomer to the neighborhood. To attract users, it offers them access to their passwords regardless of whether they are offline. Even regardless of the device they are using. It is a simple password manager that lacks many of the features of its competitors.

If you are looking for a simple password manager, without major pretensions, then NordPass is for you. Nevertheless, it includes unique features. For example, biometric protection through fingerprint scanning or its Face ID function. The free version should be more than enough for home users. However, for the $23.88 annual fee, you will enjoy premium features: password health check, synchronization between multiple devices and much more.

KeePass

KeePass is an offer concentrated on the basics. Indeed, it lacks an elegant user interface. However, the open-source code allows you to store all your passwords in a database that you can access with your key. Moreover, KeePass has NASA as one of its users. Sound familiar? Besides, they regularly release new versions. This option is preferred by people who just want to keep their passwords in a secure place.

With KeePass, we will forget about other functions that could distract you from the main function. It’s all about keeping your passwords safe and secure. Finally, this is a free and open-source tool.

RoboForm

RoboForm is an uncomplicated option for these tasks. Despite this, the password manager offers a wide range of functionalities. These include a master password generator, auto-completion of password forms, multi-platform support and many more.

The tool also allows you to securely send logins. This is a point in its favor, as it is usually a feature reserved for the paid plans of competing managers. NordPass is a newcomer to the neighborhood. To attract users, it offers them access to their passwords regardless of whether they are offline. The premium version is available for a fee of $16.70 per person per year. This way we will enjoy two-factor authentication, secure shared folder, priority support over other features.

Sticky Password

Sticky Password boasts an encrypted vault. Just log in to access all your passwords with a few clicks in seconds. Among its advantages, it has a very elaborate basic interface. In addition, the tool offers the possibility to share multiple devices. Consequently, passwords are always available. That is, no matter whether we are online or offline. The platform has cloud-free Wi-Fi synchronization and biometric authentication, which makes it secure.

Sticky Password also offers an intelligent security control panel. From there, we can notice which passwords are not complex enough. This password manager is free. However, it also offers a premium plan with two payment options. A perpetual mode with a one-time payment of $99.99. Additionally, it offers an annual subscription for the payment of $29.99. This unlocks unlimited password sharing, synchronization and backup.

LastPass

LastPass is one of the pioneers of password managers in the market. It is also considered a pioneer in the industry along with 1Password. LastPass works through the creation of a master password by the user. With this password, you log in to start saving passwords. It also functions as a vault to store passwords, secure notes and even addresses.

LastPass has extensions for almost all browsers. However, to log in, users can configure multifactor authentication as an additional security feature. In addition, it offers AES-256 bit encryption that only occurs on your device. Perhaps one point against it is that its interface is not very user-friendly. However, it offers many security tools. Besides, with time, you get used to it. On the other hand, the free version allows you to store passwords but not to share them. For the $3 monthly fee you can unlock premium features: password sharing, a security dashboard, dark web monitoring, and much more.

Dashlane

Dashlane offers features that go beyond a password manager. With this in mind, it scans the user’s entire digital footprint. In this way, it aims to increase the security of passwords. In addition, it stores your password information while you browse. Additionally, it incorporates a password autocomplete feature, which allows you to enter your password when you log in to an account for the first time.

Dashlane also offers a password generator. Through it, it will create a unique password for each account and store it in your password manager. These passwords are a random combination of characters, symbols, and numbers. The aim is to make unauthorized access by third parties difficult. It also has a very interesting dark web analysis tool. In effect, it scans the network and warns you if something is wrong with your passwords. Dashlane offers a free plan and a premium plan for $3.99 per month.

Alright, we’ve seen this compendium of the best password managers for 2022. All you have to do is choose the option that best suits your needs. See you soon!

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The EFS encryption system in Windows

As for Windows, the encryption mechanisms are only available for the professional versions. In this specific case, we are talking about Windows Pro and Enterprise. However, if we have a free version, we will at least be able to decrypt the drives and access the data. Even if the data encryption version is not available.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 and later versions have two different types of encryption. One is EFS. This is an encryption system that can encrypt both individual files and folders within the hard drive. The other is BitLocker. Specifically, this is software capable of encrypting an entire drive to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the data on it. Below, we will describe the features of each one. We can then determine the differences between EFS and BitLocker.

The EFS encryption system in Windows

EFS stands for Encrypting File System. Specifically, this feature was introduced since NTFS 3.0 version and appeared for the first time in Windows 2000. What it does is to allow files to be encrypted on NTFS partitions. This is intended to protect sensitive data. It should also be noted that EFS is incompatible with folder compression. In summary, EFS is a fast way to encrypt files and folders. Please remember that only manually selected items will be encrypted. That is, if you add one later, then it will not be encrypted.

It is crucial to know the EFS encryption will be linked to a user account. This means that the encrypted data will only be accessible to that user and will be locked for the rest. It should also be noted that the encryption is transparent. Therefore, if an unauthorized user accesses that account, then the data will be available to him. It is not even necessary for him to know the password.

Another key point to know is that the EFS encryption key in Windows is stored in the operating system itself. Consequently, it does not use the hardware’s Trusted Platform Module. Therefore, a cybercriminal with the necessary knowledge could extract this key to access these encrypted files. Similarly, if that file were at a certain point in a temporary cache, on another part of the disk or another drive, it could also fall into the hands of the attacker.

How to encrypt files with EFS in Windows

This is a simple procedure that requires no configuration or additional downloads. Suppose we want to encrypt a folder called osradar. To achieve this, just right-click on the folder and open the Properties. Next, click on the General tab and then open the Advanced Options.

In the next window, we will see a series of additional options. Please scroll down and check the Encrypt content to protect data box.

Back to the previous window, it is time to click on Apply. Consequently, a new confirmation window will be displayed. Once there, the wizard will ask if we want to change the attributes of the folder and all the included subfolders and elements. Please select the latter option for better security.

After this, the process of encrypting the elements will begin. Kindly note that this may take some time, depending on the size of the folder.

How BitLocker works in Windows

The BitLocker encryption system provides disk encryption for entire volumes. In short, its main feature is that it allows to perform full-drive encryption. To this end, BitLocker uses a standard AES encryption algorithm in CBC mode with a 128-bit key. However, it is also possible to set a key length of 256 bits and configure it with the more secure XTS. This way we give you more security.

Thanks to this mechanism, we can encrypt an entire drive, a hard disk or a removable storage medium. This prevents unauthorized users from accessing the data contained on the drive. Even data copied after the encryption process. Its great advantage is that we do not have to manually encrypt the newly added data. In addition, this tool completely encrypts the entire drive. Consequently, no user will be able to access it without the corresponding to unlock password.

How to enable BitLocker in Windows

To enable BitLocker encryption, follow the steps below:

• Open Control Panel.
• Click System and Security, then under BitLocker Drive Encryption, select Manage BitLocker.

Then we will see a screen like this one and the units that we will be able to encrypt with BitLocker:

The window displays all the drives to which you can apply BitLocker. We will even see that it is possible to encrypt removable drives. A security measure in case one day we lose a removable storage drive with confidential data. To learn about the process and its steps, we invite you to check our tutorial. From this post we will be able to go deeper into the differences between EFS and BitLocker.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, the best Windows encryption we can use is BitLocker. Thanks to it, it will take care of encrypting the entire hard disk. Therefore, we can breathe easy. From then on, all data will be automatically encrypted. BitLocker is also recommended because it uses more secure algorithms. On the other hand, EFS is specialized in encrypting data in particular. The advantages are that it is faster and consumes fewer resources than the previous one. However, the algorithms are not as secure as those of BitLocker. In addition, we have to be prudent that we have selected the files correctly. So, we recommend using BitLocker. Finally, we have seen the differences between EFS and BitLocker. See you soon!

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How to encrypt emails using a browser extension.

There are email providers that offer message encryption. There are also email managers such as Thunderbird that offer this possibility. However, today we will look at another option. An option that will not require you to change provider, or install an email manager. To achieve our goal, we will use a web browser extension. Specifically Mailvelope. Which is an extension that we can install on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. Its main function is to securely encrypt emails with PGP, using webmail providers. In addition, it is compatible with Gmail and Outlook, two of the most used servers.

Encrypting email with Mailvelope

This add-on offers end-to-end encryption for email. With the advantage that you don’t have to change your email provider. Additionally, encryption and decryption are performed on the end devices. Consequently, the data will never leave the computer unencrypted. Let’s see how to do it. First, install the extension according to your web browser.

• Mailvelope for Google Chrome.
• Mozilla Firefox.
• Mailvelope for Microsoft Edge.

Once installed, we have to click on the red button of the application.

Then you have to click on Let’s get start!. This will redirect us to another screen. To start, it is necessary to generate a new password. To do so, click on Generate key.

In the next screen you must enter a name, email and password. Finally, click on Generate. Now you have to go to the email address you provided, to verify it. This way, other Mailvelope users will be able to send us encrypted emails. You will then see an email like this in your inbox:

To decrypt the message, please click on Show message. You will see a window like this, where you must enter the password you assigned. After this is done, you will reveal the content of the email. Now click on the link to verify your email account.

You are now ready to use the program. Please remember to use the corresponding password. Also, to send an encrypted email, just click on the red button, right next to Compose.

Okay, ultimately we have seen how to encrypt emails. As we said, there are other options. But we found this one to be the most user friendly and easy to use. See you later!

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BitLocker. The Windows Encryption Technology.

BitLocker makes use of the Reliable Platform Module technology which allows for greater security in case of an external attack. It is used to validate the booting of the server. In addition, it guarantees that the hard disk is in optimal security and operation conditions. BitLocker uses 5 operational modes in its operation:

• TPM + PIN + Password: The system encrypts the information with TPM. Additionally, the administrator must enter his or her PIN and password to gain access.
• TPM+Password: The system encrypts the information with TPM and the administrator must provide a password.
• TPM + PIN: The system encrypts the information with TPM and the administrator must provide his access ID.
• Password: The administrator must provide the password to access management.
• TPM: No action is required from the administrator.

How to Install BitLocker on Windows Server 2019/2016

The first thing you have to do is open the Server Manager. Once there, click on add roles and features.

Then select Role-based and features-based installation:

As usual in this type of installation, select the server.

Please skip the window referring to Roles. Then, in the Features window, scroll down to get BitLocker Drive Encryption

When you click on the corresponding box, a window with the necessary features for the installation will be displayed.

Back to the previous window, press next to continue the installation.

Below you will see a summary of the installation. Please press Install.

After a few moments, the installation will be completed. Please note that you must reboot the server to complete the process.

Finally, in this simple way we have seen how to enable BitLocker in Windows Server 2019/2016. In addition, it is our intention to increase the security of your server. All right, that’s it for today. I can’t say goodbye without inviting you to see our post about importing and exporting the security policy in Windows Server 2019/2016. Goodbye

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Veracrypt is the direct successor to TrueCrypt that was discontinued. Veracrypt is now available for Linux, Windows, and MacOS. We are talking about a free tool to encrypt your disks and folders so anyone can open it without your permission.

Maybe you think it’s not useful, but imagine your portable disk or computer being stolen. This would be a problem because everyone would have access to important data, accounts, documents, photos and more. If the disk is encrypted, that person will not be able to access these data.

So I’ll show you how to install Veracrypt on Ubuntu 18.04.

Install Veracrypt on Ubuntu 18.04

First of all, you have to download the installer. We will be able to do it from the application website. Choose the version for Linux.

However, we can do it from the terminal. Open one, and type the following:

:~$ wget -c https://launchpad.net/veracrypt/trunk/1.23/+download/veracrypt-1.23-setup.tar.bz2

Now, create an empty folder to locate the files that will appear after decompressing the file. In my case, I put the file in the personal HOME directory.

:~$ mkdir veracrypt-installer && cd veracrypt-installer
:~$ tar xjpf ../veracrypt-*.tar.bz2

Now to be able to run the installer, you have to make it executable. To do this, run the following command:

:~$ chmod -R +x .

If we use the command ls to see the contents of the folder. We will notice that there are four files. There are two ways to install Veracrypt, either through a graphical interface or through the console. Both installers for 32-bit or 64-bit system.

:~$ ls
veracrypt-1.23-setup-console-x64  veracrypt-1.23-setup-console-x86  
veracrypt-1.23-setup-gui-x64  veracrypt-1.23-setup-gui-x86

Choose according to your system. Normally, the currents equipment are 64-bit. You can choose the graphical installer but I will use the terminal installer. It is faster and more efficient. And believe me, it is pretty easy to use.

Veracrypt console installer

Then we can start the installer. First, choose the installation option.

:~$ ./veracrypt-1.23-setup-console-x64

Then, you will see the terms of the license.

In the end, you will be asked if you agree with the license. If so, type “yes” and press enter. Then, to start the installation you will be asked for the user password.

Then, wait for the installation to finish. To run it, type veracrypt into the terminal and press enter.

:~$ veracrypt

Install Veracrypt GUI

If you are going to use Veracrypt’s graphical interface, first, uninstall Veracrypt CLI. Then launch the installer.

:~$ sudo veracrypt-uninstall.sh
:~$ ./veracrypt-1.23-setup-gui-x64

After you choosing Install Veracrypt option, you will see the license terms.

Then, enter your user password and the installation will begin. To the terminal, use the veracrypt command to run the application.

So, that’s it.

Conclusion

The best way to protect your data is to use Veracrypt to encrypt it. It is a free, powerful and quite useful program to improve the security of our computer and data.

Please share this post with your friends. They may need it.

You can also read our post about Tomb. Another way to encrypt your data.

The post How to install VeraCrypt on Ubuntu 18.04 / Linux Mint 19? appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.

You’ve probably heard about encrypting files on Linux. First of all, it is good to say that this is a great way to protect your files as you can create a key file and a password to access them, that is, double security.

To do the above, there are several applications, but one of it of Tomb. Tomb is a 100% free and open source system for file encryption on GNU/Linux, facilitating the backup of secret files.

Tomb generates encrypted storage folders to be opened and closed using their associated key files, which are also protected with a password chosen by the user. So, if you want to protect your files and folders on Linux, then Tomb is a great option.

Let’s install it.

Install Tomb on Linux

Tomb, for now, is only available for Linux. So, if you use Arch Linux, your installation is reduced to running a single command. If you use Debian, Ubuntu, and derivatives you have to add a repository.

For Arch Linux

:~$ yay -S tomb gtomb

For Debian 9, Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu derivates it is necessary to add the SparkyLinux repository. First, open a terminal and create a repo.list file.

:~$ sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/sparky-repo.list

Next, add the following:

deb https://sparkylinux.org/repo stable main
deb-src https://sparkylinux.org/repo stable main
deb https://sparkylinux.org/repo testing main
deb-src https://sparkylinux.org/repo testing main

Save and close the file. Then, download the GPG key and add it to APT.

:~$ wget -O - https://sparkylinux.org/repo/sparkylinux.gpg.key | sudo apt-key add -

Next, refresh the APT cache.

:~$ sudo apt update

Finally, install tomb package.

:~$ sudo apt install tomb

That’s it. Now, let’s use it.

Protect your files with Tomb

tomb allows you to encrypt folders and files through a file that serves as a key. This, in turn, is protected with a password. Encrypted folders are called tombs. Then, let’s create an example.

I will create a tomb called osradar with size 150MB. Remember a tomb is a folder. You must run the commands as root user.

Note: it is necessary to deactivate the swap partition.

:~$ sudo swapoff -a

:~$ sudo tomb dig -s 150 osradar.tomb

As I said before, the tomb is protected by a key file. Create it.

:~$ sudo tomb forge osradar.tomb.key

Then, you will have to enter the key file password twice.

Finally, you will see this.

The next step is to lock the folder with the key file. You have to type the password.

:~$ sudo tomb lock osradar.tomb -k osradar.tomb.key

Next, you will see this.

Opening the tomb

So, you know how to protect your folder with the key file. However, there’s still how to open it, why else, what’s the point?

You need to run this command and type the password.

:~$ sudo tomb open osradar.tomb -k osradar.tomb.key

And you will open the folder normally.

Finally, when you finish working with the tomb, close it.

:~$ sudo tomb close

If you have many tombs opened.

:~$ sudo tomb slam all

So, that’s it.

Conclusion

It’s never too much work to protect your files on Linux. Especially if they are private files that you don’t want anyone to be able to open. To do this, you have a simple tool like tomb that is very powerful and few commands let you encrypt a folder where you can store the most important things on your computer.

About security, we also talked about Buttercup a password manager. You can read it here.

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The new research was carried out by Professor Mark Ryan at the University of Birmingham, Dr. Jiangshan Yu at the University of Luxembourg and Professor Cas Cremers at the University of Oxford. Heartbleed bug motivated this team to carry out further research on cryptography.

What is end-to-end encryption?

End-to-end encryption is very strong on its own. It encrypts a data in a way that only the sender and receiver will be able to decrypt the message. The data won’t be readable by telecom providers, ISPs (Internet Service Provider) or even the app provider!

The ultimate goal is to defeat any attempt of surveillance or tampering by any third party. Surveillance is a big issue in present days. The greatest example is the leaks by Edward Snowden, disclosing the activities of NSA – how dangerous surveillance could be. End-to-end encryption seems to be the perfect solution.

How end-to-end encryption works

In this system, only the sender and the receiver must know the unlocking key. That’s why end-to-end encryption system utilizes a pre-arranged string of symbols, named a pre-shared secret (PGP) or using a one-time key from such a pre-shared secret (DUKPT). In cases, both parties can negotiate using a secret key on-spot using the Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

Thus, the secret key is only known to 2 sides – no sneaking by any third party or surveillance service. The data is only decrypted at client devices.

New improvement

Even with the current end-to-end encryption, the data isn’t secured if the hacker compromises the client device. For example, according to Edward Snowden’s data leak, Microsoft allowed backdoor in their Skype app to deliver data to the NSA. Scientists are trying to fix this issue at the same time.

However, the newly improved system will force the attacker to leave a trace behind and notify the user(s) about the data breach. According to Dr. Yu, end-to-end encryption is really excellent at keeping hackers in check. However, with a compromised device, there’s nothing to do.

In the current encryption system, if the ISP and messaging service provider get access to the encryption key in any way, there’s nothing to do to stop them from spying on you. The new system, called DECIM (Detecting Endpoint Compromise in Messaging), certifies new key pairs for both the sender and receiver. The system stores the certificates in a tamper-resistant public ledger.

According to Dr. Yu, there’s no silver bullet in the end-to-end encryption system. However, they hope that their contribution will add an extra layer of security, leveling the playing field for both hackers and users.

End-to-end encryption usage

End-to-end encryption made its debut in the field of security with WhatsApp. Now, because of the viability and security, most of the messaging apps, including Facebook Messenger, TextSecure, Jabber and Apple’s iMessage use end-to-end encryption.

Some cloud backup services like SpiderOak and Wuala uses end-to-end encryption as well. They allow you to use your personal password as the encryption key. The local program encrypts the data on the machine. What the online servers do is preserve the data – they don’t know the password!

End-to-end encryption is a powerful tool for building a safer web. However, no method is secure enough – every digital device is hackable but at least, can defend enough to stay secure for the time being.

Take a look at this new “Man-in-the-middle” flaw in banking apps.

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