Protecting with passwords

Passwords are the necessary evil we all have to live with, as they ensure security and safety from prying eyes but cause headaches when you have trouble remembering them. This week's selection of software helps simplify the task of generating and remembering passwords, for individual and corporate users.

Gunther's PasswordSentry 1.0.5

Gunther's PasswordSentry is a free password manager and a password generator for Microsoft Windows 95 (or higher). Here, password masking can be turned on and off so that you can see your passwords (instead of just asterisks) if you want to. GPS stores passwords unencrypted in a format readable with any text editor; encryption is optional. It also has a built-in backup/restore capability and you can even instruct it to remind you to make a backup every few days.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT/2000

893 KB

Download Location:

www.bigfoot.com/x guntherware/

passwordsentry

Purchase Info: Freeware

Diceware PassPhrase Generator

The words for password generation are obtained from a compiled list that contains a mixture of English words and words from other languages to ensure a unique mix. The user can determine the level of security he requires by selecting a phrase length of 4-6 words. Naturally, the more words within the phrase, the higher the level of security that is obtained.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT

Download Location: www.reallygood-software.com/

Purchase Info: Freeware

SecretFolders 1.0

SecretFolders is a simple and easy-to-use utility that allows you to password-protect your private and important folders and entire contents (files and subfolders) from malicious and accidental damage. Whether at home, work or any other environment where you share your computer with others, SecretFolders can help you protect your important files from getting infected by deadly viruses, and prevents unauthorised access to your precious files. With SecretFolders you can protect your files/folders from being renamed, modified, deleted, copied or moved. All file/folder creation operations will also be denied and files will be protected from being opened for reading and writing in the protected folder and its subfolders.

Platform: Windows 95/98

Filesize: 294 KB

Download Location: http://sihs.bizland.com/

Purchase Info: Shareware

Random Password Generator PRO

Random Password Generator PRO creates up to 1,000,000 unique passwords with as many as 60 characters each in a single execution.

You can run as many executions as desired. You may select the password criteria using numbers, upper and lowercase letters and/or special characters.Up to 94 different characters are available for your selection. Once the passwords have been created you may then save them to a text, HTML and/or CSV file.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT/2000

Filesize: 3.94 MB

Download Location: www.hirtlesoftware.com

Purchase Info: Shareware

PWGEN 2.0

This is a policy-compliant password generator that creates easy-to-remember and secure passwords for use with ISPs or corporate logons.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT/2000

Filesize: 713 KB

Download Location:

www.aquascape.com/store/index.htm

Purchase Info: Freeware

Password Generator

The most secure password is a random one. Now you are saved all trouble creating such original passwords, which contain letters and/or numbers as you wish, which this program does for you. All you need now is to remember this abracadabra. You will get a password which provides maximum security (reachable within its length). You can customise the length of the password.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT

Filesize: 187 KB

Download Location:

www.chat.ru/x vit_glad/eng.htm

Purchase Info: Freeware

PrivateEXE

PrivateEXE is an innovative software that allows you to password-protect Windows executables, both 32-bit and 16-bit. It modifies existing .exe files so that the program first asks the user for a password and does not start unless the correct password is entered.

This way you can effectively lock your most sensitive programs and utilities. PrivateEXE protects the program itself, which ensures that the program remains locked even if you run it from plain command line.

It adds the password protection scheme into binary executable files.

Platform: Windows 95/98/NT/2000

DownloadLocation: www.midstream.com/pexe.htm

Purchase Info: Shareware

Compiled by C. Ramesh

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