Master password change nuances
Are there nuances to changing a master password to a stronger password? After the change are my current vaults exactly as safe as ones that were setup originally with a similarly strong password? Thx.
1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: Account
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Hi @agilelover! Great question. With accounts, the Account Key helps protect your data even if your Master Password is weak. It's not a reason to use a weak password, just a precaution we took so people would be protected if their Master Password wasn't particularly strong. In the 1Password apps, the Account Key is saved so the only thing protecting your data there is your Master Password. If it's a weak one and someone gains access to your devices, then has your Master Password, they can access your data just like you would — by unlocking the 1Password app.
There are some other things going on behind the scenes with Master Password changes, specifically regarding keysets, and our security white paper outlines those in a bit more detail on page 48. Let us know if you have any questions about it. :)
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Hi Jacob, Page 48 says "A change of Master Password or Account Key does not create a new personal keyset; it only changes the Master Unlock Key (muk) with which the personal keyset is encrypted. Thus an attacker who gains access to a victim’s old personal keyset can decrypt it with an old Master Password and use that to decrypt data that has been created by the victim after the change of the Master Password.". I haven't read up on keysets, but it sounds like (going back to my original question) The following is not true: "After the change are my current vaults exactly as safe as ones that were setup originally with a similarly strong password?". If that's the case what would I have to do to make the post-master-password-change vaults as safe as if they had been setup from the start with a stronger master password. Thx.
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@agilelover I've been trying to get an answer to that question as well. See the bottom of this thread: https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/comment/328870/
It seems that, if you have an individual 1Password.com account, the only way to generate new personal keysets is to delete your account and create a new one. Frustrating. :'(
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That's correct:
If you are the only member of the Team who is capable of issuing recoveries then no. But if there is someone else who can, then you "forget" yours and go through the recovery process.
During the recovery process you create a new personal keyset. So if you do that and then go and move things to newly created vaults you will get the effect you are looking for. It isn't pretty, but that is how things stand at the moment.
It may change in the future, and we're open to feedback from folks about this. I hope it helps to know how this works at the moment.
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