Train of Thought

Volume 18, Number 2

Summer 2007

What’s New in Password Safe?

by Brenda Hayes, TDS Senior Training Specialist

What is
Password Safe?

Password Safe is a program that lets you create and manage a list of your usernames and passwords, in a secure database.

Have you noticed the new look of Password Safe? Looks a little different, doesn’t it? With a five year span since the last version was released to us by Systems, Password Safe has undergone quite a few changes. Bugs have been fixed and new features added. It's not surprising then, that Password Safe 3.05.02 looks significantly different and has many more features and options than previous versions. In fact, there are so many new features that it is impossible to adequately describe them all in a newsletter article. So I’ve chosen, then, to focus on those changes that have the most significant impact on the typical Password Safe user. Information on the new advanced features will be provided in an upcoming revised user’s guide.

Keep reading to explore Password Safe’s new look and new features.

Safe Combination Entry window

The Safe Combination Entry window has several options added or relocated for user convenience (see Fig. 1).

  • Open the safe as read only
  • Create a new database
  • Open an existing database (previously labeled Switch Database)

Safe Combination Entry window

Figure 1      New or relocated options in the Safe Combination Entry window

It is important that you pick a password that is hard for others to guess but easy for you to remember.

In addition, there is also now a built-in check for weak passwords when you choose the Create new database option and save the database.

Toolbars

Password Safe now offers four new toolbar buttons and two different toolbar views. Both toolbar views, New and Classic, offer the same commands; however, the icons on the New toolbar view have been redesigned. Figure 2 is an image from the Password Safe help file comparing the two available toolbar views.

Comparison of New and Classic toolbar icons

Figure 2      New and Classic toolbar icons and descriptions

The New toolbar view is the default view. To switch to the Classic toolbar view, click the View menu and select Classic Toolbar.

Views

There are now two modes available for viewing your list of passwords: Nested Tree mode and Flattened List mode.

Nested Tree mode

Nested Tree mode (see Fig. 3) is a hierarchical display where passwords are organized by Group (category). To create a Group, click the Edit menu and select Add Group. Then type in a name for the Group. You can then drag entries into the Group at any time. Alternatively, you can create a group by typing a new group name in the Group drop-down in either the Add Entry or Edit Entry windows upon creation or editing of the entry. To expand a group, click the plus sign in front of the yellow group symbol. To collapse the group, click the minus sign.

Nested Tree List view

Figure 3      Nested Tree Mode

Flattened List mode

Flattened List mode (see Fig. 4) displays the password list with Title, User Name, and Notes columns. Sorting by a particular column is now possible. Click a column header to sort by that column. To display the Flattened List mode, click the View menu and select Flattened List mode.

Flattened List Mode view

Figure 4      Flattened List Mode

In addition to these new views, you can also resize the main window. Password Safe will remember the size and location of the window upon restoring from minimizing.

Add Entry Window

The Add Entry window (see Fig. 5) has increased in both size and number of options offered. The new options (circled in red) are explained below.

Add Entry window

Figure 5      Expanded Add Entry window

Group
Select a previously created group or create a new one.
Show button
Toggle between Show and Hide password.
Confirm Password
You will have to confirm the password if the Show button is visible.
Expanded Notes field
The Notes field now has a scrollbar.
More/Less toggle button
Toggle between Less and More. Information below the Notes field will not be displayed if you click the Less button.

What is Autotype?

With a single click, the user name and password are entered into the web form and the data is submitted to the host for approval. This works fine for most web sites that require username/password authentication.

URL
URL associated with the entry.
Autotype
Content entered here replaces the default autotype value (Username and Password).
Set button
You can set an expiration date and time for your password.
Keep last passwords
Select this option if you want to retain previously used passwords.

Edit Entry Window

Like the Add Entry window, the new Edit Entry window (see Fig. 6) has also increased both in size and the number of available options.

Edit Entry window

Figure 6      Expanded Edit Entry window

Override Policy checkbox
Allows you to temporarily override the password policy.
Password History button
Allows you to keep track of your last few passwords for this title. The number is customizable.
URL
Go to this URL by pressing CTRL+L or go to the Edit menu and select Browse to URL.
Date/Time Information
This section helps you track when the password was created, modified, and accessed.

Menu options

The following are new options added to the menus:

File menu

Saving

When saving your existing database in the new version, you will be alerted that the new database will be unreadable by previous versions of Password Safe.

  • List of recently opened databases (and the ability to clear the list)
  • Export to (Using this creates an unprotected copy of specified password entries. Do not use this function unless you understand and accept the risks.)
  • Import from (formats: text, XML, KeePass)
  • Merge (merge a Password Safe database or backup file into the current database)
  • Compare (compare an open database with another)
  • Properties

Edit menu

  • Rename Entry
  • Find Entry (All fields except the passwords are searchable.)
  • Duplicate Entry
  • Add Group
  • Copy Notes to Clipboard
  • Browse to URL
  • Perform Auto type

View menu
(a new menu, some items discussed above)

  • Flattened List mode
  • Nested Tree mode
  • New Toolbar
  • Change Font (allows you to change the font of your password list)
  • Classic Toolbar
  • Expand All
  • Collapse All

Help menu

  • Visit Password Safe website link

Want more?

To read more about the new Options tabs, click here.

Manage menu

The Manage menu itself remains the same. However, the Options dialog box has been redesigned to include seven tabs: Backups, Display, Misc., Password Policy, Password History, Security, and System. These tabs allow you to customize many of Password Safe’s settings. (This advanced feature will be covered in an upcoming revised user’s guide.)

Security

Locked database icon

Locked database

Unlocked database icon

Unlocked database

The System tray tooltip (the yellow pop-up you see when you hover over the icon with your cursor) now reflects the name of the database, and the icon indicates whether the database is locked or not. If it is locked, you will be prompted for the master combination when you double-click the icon to restore the database. Alternatively, you can right-click the icon to select the Unlock Safe option or to access additional options. Password Safe will minimize to the System tray after the database has been idle for a few minutes (adjustable in the Security options).

I hope you have taken the time to read over the new features and are excited about trying them out. As you can see, there is much to explore. Perhaps it might have been better to discuss what’s not new in Password Safe!

(For more information on Password Safe’s new features and bugs fixed, visit the Password Safe website.)

TDS is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Return to top