Password Generator

The Password Generator is a tool for creating random passwords. It can be opened in different ways:

  • In the dialog windows for adding (Edit → New) or modifying (Edit → Properties) entries, via the star symbol
  • In the top bar by clicking on the star symbol
  • With the browser add-ons
  • Via Tools → Generate password

When generating a new password, you can choose between the Standard, the Advanced generator and the Passphrase.

Standard

On the Standard tab, you have the following options:

  • Character types: Choose what character types should be included for the generation of the password (Lowercase, Numbers, Uppercase, Special).
  • Length: Allows you to define the maximum length of a generated password. The limit is 256 characters.
  • Exclude characters: Allows you to define characters that the password should not include. By default, a number of similar-looking characters is listed here. You can edit this list as you wish.
  • Password policy: Choose whether the new password should adhere to existing global policies.

To generate a password with the standard password generator, move your cursor over the green field with random data. Your mouse movement will select random characters, which make up the password. It will be displayed in the Password field. Below the password field, the Password quality (character count, bit strength, and dictionary similarity) is displayed.

The Clear button empties the password field, allowing you to generate a new password. By clicking Show/Hide, you can display the password in plain text or hide it. By clicking Copy, you can copy it to your clipboard.

Click OK or Copy to Clipboard, respectively, to copy the password to the clipboard or save it in the window for adding or modifying entries. If you want to end the process without saving the password, click Cancel.

Advanced

The advanced password generator (to be found on the Advanced tab) allows you to generate secure, random passwords while defining precisely what characters it should contain. These settings can be saved as templates for future entries.

Template

The following options are available:

  • Custom password settings: Select this option to create your own template. You can save it by clicking Save. Templates that you do not need can be removed by clicking Delete.
  • Default settings for new passwords: Automatically adopts global default settings.
  • Deduct settings from the current password: This setting will be automatically selected if you already have a password for an entry. In this case, the settings from the old password will be adopted for the new password.

Once you've created new templates, you'll find them here in the drop-down menu as well.

NOTE: Starting with Password Depot 18, templates for server databases are stored within the database itself. As a result, these templates are visible to all users who have been assigned the database and who have at least the permissions Access to database and Read entries. If the user also has the permission Modify entries, they can create new templates themselves.

Password settings

Here you define the conditions for the password to be generated.

  • Password length: Choose the length of your password.
  • Use only following characters: If this option is enabled, the password only consists of the characters that have been chosen.
  • Use following character types with relative frequencies: Allows you to define what character types the password should consist of and what percentage of the password each character type should make up. By clicking Custom, you can add your own characters. Please note that only the first 256 ASCII characters are supported.
  • Use at least one character of each type selected above: Ensures that at least one character from each selected character type is included in the password.
  • Exclude characters: Allows you to define characters that the password should not include.
  • Exclude consecutive identical characters: Select this option to avoid consecutive identical characters for better memorability.
  • Exclude strings from dictionaries: Select this option to avoid strings of characters that can be found in dictionaries to increase security.

Generator

Here, the password is being generated and its quality is being assessed.

  • Generate: Creates a random password based on your settings. With the arrow button, you can define how many passwords the generator tries out in order to find the best result (1 to 100 rounds).
  • Password: Your generated password will appear here. Below it, you will see a security meter — the longer and bluer the bar, and the better the corresponding values (character count, bit strength, and dictionary similarity), the stronger your password.
  • Show/Hide: Shows the password in plain text or hides it.
  • Copy: Copies the password to the clipboard.

Click OK or Copy to Clipboard, respectively, to copy the password to the clipboard or save it in the window for adding or modifying entries. If you want to end the process without saving the password, click Cancel.

Passphrase

On the Passphrase tab of the password generator, you can create secure, easy-to-remember passphrases based on dictionary words. The main advantage of passphrases over traditional passwords is their higher entropy while still being easier to memorize.

Options

Under Options, you define the parameters for generating the passphrase:

  • Words: Specifies the number of words the passphrase should consist of. You can enter values between 3 and 32.
  • Separator: Defines the character used to separate the individual words (e.g. -, _ or .). Any single character can be used.
  • Language: Specifies from which dictionary the words should be taken:
    • Mixed – uses a combination of German and English words.
    • English – uses English words only.
    • German – uses German words only.
  • Capitalize: When this option is enabled, the words in the passphrase are capitalized with an uppercase first letter.

Passphrase field

  • Passphrase: This text field displays the currently generated passphrase. You can also edit the passphrase manually here if required.

The following buttons are available:

  • Generate: Creates a new passphrase based on the currently selected options and displays it in the Passphrase field.
  • Clear: Clears the currently displayed passphrase from the text field.
  • Copy: Copies the passphrase currently shown in the Passphrase field to the clipboard.

Click OK to apply the passphrase or save it in the window for adding or modifying entries. If you haven't selected an existing password, the option Copy to Clipboard will appear. If you want to end the process without saving the passphrase, click Cancel.