Strong Password Generator
The Strong Password Generator allows you to quickly generate complex passwords and automatically fill them in the current web site.
By generating strong passwords with 1Password you will greatly improve the security of your online accounts. You will also gain additional protection from Keyloggers as 1Password never types your password and by default avoids pasting them into your Clipboard.
Generating Passwords in Web Browser
Most often you will need access to new passwords when signing up to a new online service. To make this as quick and painless as possible, you can launch the Strong Password Generator directly from your web browser by selecting Strong Password Generator from the 1Password toolbar icon.
Once you have selected the Password Generation options you are satisfied with, clicking Fill will fill all the empty password fields on the current site. When submitting the form 1Password will automatically prompt you to save a new Login with this password.
Generating Passwords in 1Password Application
Sometimes you will need to generate a new password for an Application such as iTunes. To do this, you can access the Strong Password Generator feature in the 1Password application by clicking the Add Password toolbar icon or by selecting File > New Password.
Fill With Identity Integration
Fill with Identity feature also uses the strong password generator to automatically generate and fill blank password fields.
Password Generation Algorithms
There are 3 password generation algorithms available, and each one can be customized. Opening the Advanced Options disclosure triangle will reveal the available options.
1. Pronounceable Password (FIPS 181 Compliant)
Pronounceable passwords such as “veni-vidi-vici” are much easier to type than completely random passwords but are slightly weaker as well and therefore need to be longer.
To generate pronounceable passwords, click on the Pronounceable tab under Advanced Options. You can customize what separator will be used between the pronounceable strings.
The Pronounceable password algorithm is compliant with the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 181.
2. Password Digest (SuperPassGen Compatible)
A novel approach to password generation is based on a Hash or Digest algorithm. Using a hash of a password plus the domain of the website allows you to generate passwords that are reproducible and unique for each website.
This approach to password generation was popularized by SuperPassGen and 1Password’s generation algorithm is SuperPassGen compatible. This means if you use Digest passwords, you can use SuperPassGen on your Windows or Linux machines to log you into your web sites.
Note that there are downsides to using Digest Passwords, including:
- It is impossible to have unique passwords for multiple accounts on the same domain. While this may seem alright at first glance, imagine having multiple GMail accounts, one for work and one for personal. You would not be able to share your work account’s password with your co-workers since it would be identical to your personal account password.
- It is impossible to change your password for a website without changing your main password. Changing this password breaks the fundamental benefit of only needing to remember a single password.
- Generated passwords only use characters and numbers. Any website or application that has specific password requirements (i.e. at least 1 symbol) will not allow the generated password.
- Most probably you will need to settle on a shorter length for the generated password (6-8 characters) to be acceptable by most of the websites. You can adjust the length of the password and 1Password will remember it, but SuperGenPass is not able to remember the length you chose.
For full details on this password generation approach and its consequences, see How SuperGenPass works.
3. Random Password
Random passwords are the most secure as they are completely random. They are also the hardest to remember and type, but most often 1Password will handle that for you so there is no real downside to using them.
To generate random passwords, click on the Random tab under Advanced Options.
In the options you can customize how many numbers and symbols will be in the generated password, if characters can repeat, as well selecting if ambiguous characters such as 0Ol1S$ are allowed.
Copy Password on Completion
Under Advanced Options you can configure the Strong Password Generator to copy the newly created password into your Clipboard.
Password History
When Filling or Saving a newly generated password, 1Password will add it to the Password History section of 1Password. See Password History for details.