Password generator

Password generator

The password generator automatically creates random or pronounceable passwords with user definable length, characters and character order, specified in the password generator settings. Passwords are inserted in the Generator.Password.DestCol column of the [Data] section, one password per existing row. The password generator can be used to create passwords for any operating system.

Start the password generator manually by clicking Action > Run password generator > Password type. Create passwords automatically from a script by adding a Data.Passwords.Generate command to the [Init] section. Use the Print data section function to print password sheets.

Remember

Do not use the password format from any of the examples; it might be possible for a hacker to disassemble the password generation algorithm, but by creating your own format and by using your own characters, you make it completely impossible to regenerate passwords (unless an intruder gets hold of your SetupBatcher script with the source strings).

·	Once again: for good password security you MUST create your own format. You should also change format often.

Different operating systems handles special characters differently. You must make sure that all your client operating systems can handle all the special characters that you specify. The only way to do this is to create some accounts, for which you use your selected special characters as password, and then try to logon to the accounts on all your client operating systems - example: one XP machine, one Windows 9x machine, one Linux machine etc.

·	Do not create passwords shorter than 8 characters.

·	Create a strong password policy.

·	Make your users change their passwords often or make sure to change passwords for them.

·	Remember to print or save the text file with the generated passwords before you exit SetupBatcher or else they will be lost.

·	Never save the file with the passwords on a hard drive, instead use a removable media. Store the media in a safe place.

Random passwords

In this mode SetupBatcher creates completely random passwords from a string of characters that you provide.

Settings

Generator.Password.DestCol	Destination column
Generator.Password.Random.Len	Password length
Generator.Password.Random.Chars	Characters to include

To get more random passwords = safer passwords -

·	Use as many different characters as possible in Generator.Password.Random.Chars - numbers, uppercase letters, lowercase letters and special characters - "Generator.Password.Random.Chars=01234567890ABCDEFGYabcdefgh+-_*/" etc.

·	Mix characters in the source character strings and use the same character more than once - "Generator.Password.Random.Chars=0349a4bcdeeac1234bb56789".

Script example

[Settings_Begin]
Generator.Password.DestCol=3
Generator.Password.Random.Len=8
Generator.Password.Random.Chars=0123456789abcdef

BatchSettings.Delimiter=TAB
Account.Password.Col=3
BatchSettings.MarkerCol=4
[Settings_End]

[Machines_Begin]
\\EDU8      NT PDC
[Machines_End]

[Init_Batch_Begin]
Data.Passwords.Generate Random
[Init_Batch_End]

[Batch_Begin]
Data.Loop
Account.Create %col2%
Data.Endloop
[Batch_End]

[Data_Begin]
   account1   b05edf42
   account2   1d4186f8
   account3   da014118
[Data_End].

Here SetupBatcher has generated the passwords "b05edf42", "1d4186f8" and "da014118" in the third column of the [Data] section.

Pronounceable easy-to-remember random passwords

In this mode SetupBatcher creates passwords from four different characters sets; vowels, consonants, numbers and special characters. The format setting decides in which order characters from the different character sets should appear - by mixing vowels and consonants the right way - the passwords will be pronounceable an thus more easy to remember.

It is also possible to randomly "pick" whole words from two different text files - suitable for creating passwords for very small children etc.

Settings

Generator.Password.DestCol	Destination column
Generator.Password.Special.Vowels, Generator.Password.Special.Consonants, Generator.Password.Special.Numbers and Generator.Password.Special.Special	Character sets
Generator.Password.Special.File, Generator.Password.Special.File2	Text files with words, one per row
Generator.Password.Special.Format	Format

Generator.Password.Special.Format syntax

The format setting decides in which order characters from the different characters sets will be arranged. The format building characters are the following:

a	vowels (lowercase)
A	vowels (UPPERCASE)
b	consonants (lowercase)
B	consonants (UPPERCASE)
f	[if Generator.Password.Special.File setting present] A random word from file 1
g	[if Generator.Password.Special.File2 setting present] A random word from file 2
n	numbers
s	special characters (+#¤%"!%&-_',.<>\|@½$£§ etc.)
r	random - any character of a, A, b, B, n and s

·	To add a fixed string to all passwords, put the string between quotes.

·	To add the current date to all passwords, add the text "%date=format%" to the password format. The date format is the same as the password sheet account expiration date format.

Format / output examples

rnBababas	"k4Keqifo!", "93Bogaly%", "+5Lipewu¤"
Ababasrn	"Ereli#q8", "Yseja&+2", "Uvako%o6"
HHH"ab	"HHHuj", "HHHen", "HHHow"
%date=mmddyy%bb"ERER"	"042901lsERER", "042901dvERER" and "042901rgERER"

To get more random passwords = safer passwords:

·	Use as many different characters as possible in the source character strings.

·	Mix the characters in the character sets and use the same character more than once - "Generator.Password.Special.Vowels=yiuaeiouy", etc.