Required - a truly offline instance of 1Password
Hey folks,
I imagine a reasonable number of 1P users are in a similar situation as myself and so solving this problem would do more than just solve my own frustrations!
I work in a corporate bank where access to third party tools and websites is monitored and restricted. For good reason, access to file sharing services like Dropbox is outlawed, and I'd be fired even if I did manage to find a way around the issue, though being within the bank's network support function, I don't really think there is. Access to most download sites is blocked, though I can actually download the 1P exe. Trouble is I'd need admin elevation to be able to install it, and if I did, I still wouldn't be able to sync with Dropbox.
I am a good use case of someone who needs access to an offline (read-only if needs be, probably preferred) instance of my 1Password data. 1Password Anywhere doesn't seem to work here either (I did manage to get a copy of my keychain folder smuggled in) and doesn't really seem like a long-term, supported solution.
It's a great frustration for me not to be able to have access to my password vault whilst at work. Had I the ability to do so I would create a work vault to avoid my using the systematic approach to creating work related passwords that I currently take. Unfortunately single-sign-on is not yet so single, though this is by far one of the better places I have worked for the fewest number of accounts needed.
Is anyone else in the same position? Anyone in support of this as an idea? It really just needs to be a 'portable' version of the distribution which can pick straight up from a copy of the keychain folder and run with it.
Help! I'm so pleased I at least now have large type to help me (beta user) see the passwords to be able to transcribe them, though every time I need to enter my Amazon password manually I die a little bit inside.
Cheers!
Tom
Comments
-
Hi @smallcheese,
Just to clarify: you need access to your existing 1Password vault, and that is where you are running into trouble? You are already aware that you could create a vault on the work computer and that would be completely offline by default, right?
Please let me know.
Ben
0 -
Yes, it's mainly the existing vault that I need access to, I have over 150 Logins, many of which I use on a regular basis. Even if I created a new vault, I actually wouldn't be able to since I don't have the admin rights to install the app. That's why a 'portable' version would be handy.
0 -
I see. Thanks for the feedback!
0 -
@smallcheese just install the iOS/Android app on your phone. Ok, so you have to type your passwords out but that could be made less horrible by switching them to diceware.
Frankly I'd be very surprised if a portable app was allowed on your systems either. Does your company not have a clause in its IT Usage Policy requiring that all software must be approved by the IT dept? All of the banks that I deal with do.
0 -
@RichardPayne I already have the 1Password app on my iPhone and iPad, I mentioned my transcribing in the original post. Whilst it wouldn't be strictly within company policy to run a standalone app there are degrees of compliance, and running a sandboxed app sits a long way behind circumnavigating data loss prevention rules. Switching 150+ passwords to diceware is also not really something I want to get into. The browser plugins are so darn handy for accessing things. What it actually means is something which might ordinarily take me a few seconds ends up taking a few minutes by the time I've transcribed the password and gotten it wrong a couple of times.
0 -
Don't get me wrong @smallcheese, I understand the desire to do it properly. It does make life a lot easier. My concern was for your job security. While you certainly know you company better than I do, I have worked in high security financial environments (and still do tangentially) and I know how unyieldingly bureaucratic they can be.
0 -
Oh yes, there is nothing more annoying (well there will be but you know what I mean) than trying to copy a strong password from one device to another. It's very frustrating.
I share RichardPayne's viewpoint here, I would have thought even a portable application would have the potential of you running foul of procedures and I can imagine the average bank flipping out on the discovery of trying to circumnavigate their restrictions. This is of course your call though.
One point I wanted to make though is 1PasswordAnywhere should work depending on the browser. The reason there are difficulties is to do with local file restrictions which leave the browser unable to run the JavaScript required to perform the decryption. If your browser can be safely (and within company procedures) configured to run JavaScript locally then 1PasswordAnywhere should work.
None of these sound ideal to me though, not if you work in an extremely locked down environment.
0
