RandomPass

Weak passwords are one of the main reasons that lay behind a successful data breach or personal information theft. Creating strong passwords is one of the pilons of a healthy security-oriented behavior in the virtual world. A random string is probably the safest way to go when it comes to creating a new password. You can easily obtain it by using an application such as RandomPass.

The first thing you need to know about RandomPass is that it only runs in the Windows console. A standard GUI is not available but, luckily, the syntax is simple and you can easily learn how to use it, especially if you are already accustomed with the command prompt working environment.   To run RandomPass, you will have to open a new command window and then browse to the executable file. It is advisable you run the “-help” command first to view a list of options and tools at your disposal. The syntax requires you to enter the password length and any additional options you want, as described below.

Running the application without parameters will generate a set of 16-character passwords. This set includes a complex password and three different simple (alphanumeric) passwords, along with their hash codes and a 32-bit GUID. By default, SHA1 is used, but keep in mind that RandomPass comes with support for other hash codes (MD5 and several versions of SHA).

Optionally, you can alter the way the information is displayed by configuring RandomPass to place passwords and hashes on separate lines.  RandomPass can generate random passwords with or without including special characters. You can even choose which special characters to include or exclude.

While not as powerful and user-friendly as other password generators out there, RandomPass does provide a handy tool to help you create secure passwords for your accounts, regardless of the password length.

Not having a standard GUI comes with both benefits and drawbacks.  Since it runs in the console, it can be integrated in various applications and it might cater to experienced users. On the other side, regular users who are in need for a simple password generator might prefer using a tool with a more accessible interface.