Password Tech Files

Version 2.1.0 (2012-11-12)

NEW FEATURES:

- new option "Format Password": allows you to fully customize the passwords
  by providing a pattern-based generation using placeholders (for inserting
  characters from various character sets) and other format specifiers (e.g.,
  for permuting character sequences)
- introduction of command line switches
- ambiguous characters may be provided in groups of similar-looking characters
  (e.g., "B8 G6 I1l| 0OQD S5 Z2")
- new "Advanced" option "Convert all words in word lists to lower-case"
- word lists are loaded automatically
- new "quick help" buttons for character set & word list box
- new option "Enabled Password Testing" in context menu of password box:
  enables the user to manipulate the contents of the box and let PWGen
  estimate the security of the entered sequence
- new "password quality bar" below the password box: length & color of the bar
  signify security of the generated password (the longer & greener, the better)
- random seed file is created/overwritten in order to preserve entropy
  collected during runtime

CHANGES & IMPROVEMENTS:

- function "Generate Password" in the context menu of the PWGen system tray
  icon can generate all kinds of passwords now (i.e., not limited to characters
  any more)
- text encryption scheme changed: HMAC of the plaintext (instead of the
  ciphertext) is generated, full 256 bits of HMAC-SHA-256 are used; an encrypted
  4-byte identification string serves to quickly check the key without having to
  compute the full HMAC; these changes allow for using other encryption
  algorithms besides AES in future versions
- backwards compatibility for old encryption scheme (PWGen <2.1.0) is provided
  in the password dialog by a checkbox
- random pool design changed (security increased)
- design of the random pool progress bar (and of other elements) changed
- version numbering changed: x.yz (old) -> x.y.z (new)

FIXES:

- minor fixes, but lots of internal changes in the code