Dashlane 1.1

If I had to describe the new Dashlane 1.1 (free) password manager in a single word, I'd call it elegant. Dashlane handles the same essential tasks as other password managers, but with a better appearance and a minimum of user effort. It also boasts features you just won't find in the competition. At present it only supports Firefox and Chrome; Internet Explorer support is coming in "a few weeks."

Good Start
Right from the start, Dashlane makes an impression. Other password managers order you to create a strong master password for data encryption. Some of them will rate your password's strength. Dashlane offers a wizard that helps you devise a memorable but unguessable password. It uses a technique similar to one I wrote about recently, combining a memorable sentence with a memorable number.

During the install process you can import any passwords you may have stored in Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer. Dashlane can also import passwords from LastPass 1.72 (free, 5 stars) and RoboForm Desktop 7 ($29.95 direct, 4 stars), as well as 1Password, Keepass, and Password Wallet.

At present, LastPass handles some unusual login configurations that Dashlane doesn't, so when I imported my over-200 LastPass passwords some of them didn't come through. Those that did worked perfectly.

After installation Dashlane invites the user to enter contact, address, and credit card information. RoboForm, LastPass, Kaspersky Password Manager 4 ($24.95 direct, 4 stars) and others also store credit card data, but Dashlane does it with style. For each card you can specify the bank name and card color. When you're filling in credit card data on a Web form, you'll easily pick the right card by its color and bank logo.

Almost all password managers include the option to automatically log out after the computer is idle for a specified time, but often this feature isn't obvious. Dashlane makes it easy. By default it logs out after 30 minutes of inactivity. The first time it does so, it pops up and asks whether you want to keep that setting, change the timeout, or turn off automatic logout.

To Sync or Not To Sync?
Dashlane can operate as a standalone application on one single computer, or it can sync through your online account to make your data available on multiple Windows or Mac computers. The choice is yours, and you change your mind later if desired. In standalone mode it's similar to RoboForm Desktop 7; with syncing enabled Dashlane more closely resembles RoboForm Everywhere 7 ($19.95 direct, 4.5 stars).

Keeping all your sensitive data on your own PC seems intrinsically more secure than syncing through the cloud, but Dashlane goes to great lengths to ensure your synced data's safety. As with LastPass, it doesn't store your master password anywhere. If you forget the master password, you just have to start over.

When syncing with the cloud, Dashlane uses 256-bit AES encryption end to end. It derives an encryption key in part from the master password and in part from a device-specific key that's generated when you initially authorize Dashlane to run on that device. No unencrypted data leaves your system.

If you wish, you can limit what Dashlane syncs between computers. By default it syncs login credentials, personal data, and purchase history but doesn't sync credit card numbers and security codes.

A malicious or hacked website could conceivably host code that would simulate mouse clicks to trigger Dashlane's password or form filling abilities. According to a Dashlane whitepaper, the programmers headed off this kind of attack by using only C++ code in user-facing interactions, no Javascript at all. The paper concludes that a "large scale brute force attack" is impossible by either external hackers or a rogue employee.

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