Question: Password Management

Several good password management programs are available for free or at a low cost. In this project, you will research three of these programs, compare their strengths and weaknesses, and, optionally, install one of them.

1. Free versions are available of three popular password managers: KeePass, LastPass, and Dashlane. Choose two of these programs and a third of your own selection that interests you, then answer the following questions:

a. Which platforms are supported?

b. Which Web browsers are supported?

c. From how many competitors can the program import passwords?

d. What types of authentication are supported (e.g., master password, fingerprint, etc.)?

e. What options are available for adding new passwords? For example, is this information collected automatically when the user creates a new account on a Web site?

f. Where are the passwords stored? Are they synced across devices? How is the information protected, and what encryption options are available?

g. What are some of the differences between the free edition of each program and the paid versions?

h. What happens to the user's account if the user dies or is otherwise incapacitated?

2. Optional: Now that you know more about what a password manager can do and what its limitations are, select one of the programs you researched. Download and install it on your computer(s), your smartphone, and/or your tablet. On how many devices did you install the software? What types of devices are they, and what are their respective OSs?