Hideez Key

Some people just can't stand the idea of a password manager storing their secrets in the cloud. What if the company gets hacked, or a disgruntled employee just takes your data? In truth, modern encryption with a top password manager means that nobody but you can unlock that data, but the feeling of uneasiness may remain. Is that how you feel? If so, Hideez Key could be just the thing you need. It stores all your passwords and stays in your pocket, connecting with your devices using Bluetooth, but you'll pay in convenience for this device's added security.

Hideez Key does require a local app called Hideez Safe to manage its interactions, but apps are available for Windows and macOS, and beta apps for iOS and Android. You can use it with as many devices as you wish, bearing in mind that it can only pair with one device at a time.

The device measures 0.4 by 1.3 by 1.3 inches and costs $59, which at a glance seems high. Most password managers cost less than that; some password manager are free. But this is a one-time cost, not a yearly subscription. If you want to use it with a Windows 7 computer, or a device that lacks Bluetooth, you'll need to shell out another $19 for a USB Bluetooth dongle. Note, too, that the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

It's worth noting that Hideez Key isn't the only password manager with a local-only storage option. With the free Myki Password Manager & Authenticator, your passwords reside on your smartphone, for example.

Getting Started With Hideez Key

Before you can use your Hideez Key, you must install Hideez Safe on at least one device. You can scan a QR code to install on mobile devices, or just go to the site and download the right app for the platform you want.

You also need to create a Hideez account, with the expected username and password. This password is effectively the "what you know" part of a two-factor authentication system, the other factor being possession of the device itself. Make it a strong password. By default, you only need the password to connect Hideez Key to a new device, but you can configure the app to demand authentication before displaying the password list, or to require it every so often (every 30 minutes by default).

After you pair the Hideez Key with Hideez Safe, you get the opportunity to update the device's firmware. It also offers to import passwords from a CSV file, but I suggest holding off on that step until you've finished the installation. You'll get the opportunity to configure the device's response to single and multiple button-presses and hotkeys for specific actions. I'd suggest leaving everything at the default settings.

You can configure your Mac or PC to lock when the device isn't nearby and unlock automatically when it comes back into range. You don't have to do that at install time; it's available whenever you want to think about it.

The fact that your passwords reside on the device also means that you lose them if you lose the device. You can configure Hideez Safe to maintain a local back up of your data. The backup is encrypted using a password that need not be the same as your master password. There's also an option to automatically back up on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule.

No Password Capture

All too often, security comes at the expense of convenience. In the case of Hideez, the security of having all your data literally in your pocket comes at the expense of having to enter that data manually. This is clearly better done on a desktop or laptop than on the tiny screen of a smartphone. If you're switching from a cloud-based password manager, you can export your existing passwords to a CSV file and import them to Hideez.

I found the process to be slightly daunting. When I tried importing a dozen passwords exactly as they were exported from Dashlane($59.99 at Dashlane), I wound up with the account, username, website, and password fields all filled with category names such as Backup and Entertainment. I hit on the idea of exporting the sample passwords already present on the device, and using that CSV file as a template. That did the job.

Once you pass the initial hurdle of getting your existing passwords into Hideez Key, there's no real burden to saving credentials as you sign up for new accounts. You just have to remember to create the account first in the Hideez Safe app and then fill the web form using the key. Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault($2.49 Per Month - 50% off all Keeper personal plans, family plans and secure add-ons at Keeper Security) offers a similar system for new accounts.

Button-Based Password Replay

LastPass Premium, LogMeOnce, RoboForm, and most other password managers install as a browser extension. That gives them the power to capture credentials as you log in and automatically fill those credentials when you revisit the site. With Hideez Key, you take a more active role in filling saved passwords.

One way involves using special key combos. On Windows, Ctrl+Alt+L enters the login name, Ctrl+Alt+P enters the password, and Ctrl+Alt+O enters the one-time password (more about that last bit later). Just click in a field and press the corresponding key combo. If these defaults are already in use on your PC you can change them. For Mac users, the letter keys are the same, combined with Ctrl+Shift.

Bitwarden, AgileBits 1Password, and Intuitive Password are among the handful of other password managers that require a special keystroke to fill saved password data. However, these products find and fill the appropriate fields rather than requiring you to press the appropriate key combo for each field the way Hideez does.

You can also press the device's own button to enter saved login data. On Mac or PC, a single press locks the device, double enters the password, triple enters the username, and quadruple enters the one-time password.

The settings page in the Windows edition has spaces for actions up to eight presses, which seems excessive. However, if you choose to take advantage of those multi-press codes, you can use the Hideez Key for other actions, including shutting down the PC or even running an arbitrary program.

Note, too, that this manual password replay system means Hideez Key isn't limited to website passwords. It can also fill in passwords for apps that require them. To record a password for a running application, you simply choose the app from a list instead of entering a URL. LastPass, Password Boss, and Sticky Password are among the other password managers with support for application passwords.

Password Generator

When you're creating a new account or updating a password, Hideez can help by generating a strong random password. By observation, Hideez generates 16-character passwords using uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, and punctuation. I couldn't find any way to change those default settings, and my contact at the company confirmed that those settings are not configurable.

The 16-character default is a decent length, better than the 12-character default of Dashlane and Kaspersky. However, since the password manager does all the remembering, many products default to even greater lengths. F-Secure Key, MyKi, and Enpass all default to 30 or more characters.

One-Time Passwords

Many websites offer two-factor authentication using Time-based One Time Passwords (TOTPs). You pair your Google Authenticator or equivalent app with the site, typically by snapping a QR code. Now when you log in to the site, you need both your password and a TOTP from your app.

Like Dashlane, MyKi, and Bitwarden Premium, Hideez Safe can function as a TOTP generator. Just go to the site's two-factor page and snap the QR code. Thereafter, you can enter the current TOTP with the appropriate key combo or a quadruple button press.

Proximity Lock

Bluetooth has a limited range, and you can take advantage of that fact by configuring the Hideez Key to act as a kind of proximity lock. You can set your Mac or PC to automatically lock if you're not nearby, and separately set it to unlock when you come back. Sliders let you set how far away you must be for it to lock, and how close you must be to unlock.

In testing, I thought at first that this feature didn't work. It turns out I just needed a little patience. After a couple of minutes with the key at a distance from the computer, it did indeed log out the Windows laptop. Building in a small delay makes sense; you wouldn't want your PC to lock up just because the Bluetooth signal fluctuated.

To automate logging back in when the device comes into range, you must store your Windows or Mac account name and password on the Hideez Key. This strikes me as a potential security risk. If you lose your key, anybody who picks it up could unlock your computer. I set it up for testing regardless, and found that it seemed more responsive than the lock-on-walk feature.

Mobile Apps

Hideez Safe exists as a mobile app for both iOS and Android, but the apps are in beta, and they show it. The Android app crashed repeatedly, for example, and the password generator didn't work. When the mobile apps are stable, they will offer features not present on Windows or macOS.

The Theft Alert feature sounds an alarm on the Hideez Key and on your mobile device if the two get too far apart. It's similar to the lock feature for desktops. You can set the mobile app to require a fingerprint to unlock. Touch Guard is a components that snaps photos if your device starts moving while not near the device. And you can define safe regions where Theft Alert and Touch Guard don't activate.

Another feature is more suited to business applications than personal. You (or rather, someone with the requisite skills) can program the Hideez Key to double for an RFID-based security badge or key.

Security Over Convenience

When you use Hideez Key to store your passwords, they reside in your pocket, not in the cloud. Nobody but you can access them. But this security comes at a price. You must enter new passwords manually, and password replay requires a key combination or button-mashing on the device itself. As for advanced features like secure password sharing or an actionable password strength report, they're entirely absent.

The designers of Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault strongly emphasize security. Keeper works seamlessly across all popular operating systems and offers a wealth of advanced features. Dashlane, too, handles all platforms and has a slick, inviting user interface. These two are our Editors' Choice products in the password manager realm. If storing your encrypted password collection in the cloud doesn't bother you, choose one of these.

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