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Getting Started

Passwords

Passwords are used to prevent unauthorized access to your data. Concealer requires you to have at least one password. This is known as the master password.

Don't forget your password as there is no password recovery option. The encryption algorithm is secure enough that third party password recovery software will be practically useless.

The program supports the Mac OS Roman character encoding for passwords. When you are typing in a new password, the text editing field is set to the correct character encoding automatically. If you paste your password into the field, it can be rejected in case it contains unsupported characters.

The Master Password

The master password is used to log in when you start Concealer or to return to the main window when it is locked.

The program asks you to create the master password when you create a new card repository. To change the master password, select File > Change Master Password…

Even though there is an option to save your master password in Keychain, it is not recommended to do this. If you do, anybody who can log into your user account will be able to access your confidential information. Create a strong password, and let the program request it every time.

The File Storage Password

Each file storage has its own password. When you create a new file storage, you can either specify it or create a storage without a password. If you choose the second, your master password will be used.

Each file storage exists physically as a disk image. Since anyone can access them in the Finder and bypass Concealer, all file storages are encrypted individually.

Choosing a Better Password

A good password:

• Contains at least 8 characters. A strong password should contain 12 or more characters.
• Contains at least 1 uppercase letter (A, B, C, ...), more is better.
• Contains at least 1 lowercase letter (a, b, c, ...), more is better.
• Contains at least 1 number (1, 2, 3, ...), more is better.
• Contains at least 1 special character like spaces or the following:
  ~`!@#$%^ &*()-+=_'"{}[]|\?/:;<,.
  more is better.

Do not include:

• The same character
  aaaaaaaa
• Consecutive characters
  12345678
• Or their combinations
  aabbccdd
• Your personal information (name, title, birthday, and so on).
• Dictionary words spelled normally, backwards, or misspelled.

To create a password, you can use the built-in password generator by choosing File > Password Assistant. It lets you choose the type and length of the password. Once it is generated, the utility estimates the password strength.

A Password Hint

A password hint (or simply hint) is a question or sentence that can be saved together with the password. The hint serves as a reminder or clue that helps you recall your password.

Note that any user of your computer can read your hint, so don't make your question so simple that anyone could guess. And do not use the password itself as a hint.

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