Password Manager
Password Manager
Mahesh Kanjikar
2025 · DOI: 10.22214/ijraset.2025.76363
International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology · 4 Citations
TLDR
This project effectively demonstrates how modern web development technologies React for front-end, Node.js/TypeScript for back-end, and PostgreSQL for data storage can be integrated to deliver a practical and high-impact solution to a critical real-world cybersecurity challenge: eliminating the dependence on weak and repeated passwords.
Abstract
This project presents a Password Manager, a secure web-based application developed to help users store and manage
their passwords safely. Many people still use weak or repeated passwords, which increases the chances of cyberattacks and dataloss. To address this issue, the Password Manager provides a simple and reliable way to keep all passwords protected in oneplace. The system uses AES-256 encryption, PBKDF2 key derivation, and a master password to ensure that only the user canaccess their data. It is built using React, Node.js, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL, offering features like secure password storage,strong password generation, category-wise organization, and auto-lock for safety. This project highlights the importance of safepassword practices and shows how modern web technologies can support better cybersecurity. The core strength of this PasswordManager lies in its robust, multi-layered security architecture, specifically designed to address the vulnerabilities inherent intypical password management. AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256-bit key) is utilized as the primary symmetricencryption algorithm, universally recognized for its high level of security and computational efficiency .Before encryption canoccur, the user's single, high-entropy master password is never stored directly. Instead, it is transformed into a strongcryptographic key using the PBKDF2) algorithm. PBKDF2 introduces a salt and a high iteration count to make brute-forceattacks computationally infeasible, ensuring that even if the database is compromised, the encrypted password vault remainssecure. The system's backend, built with Node.js and TypeScript, provides a fast, type-safe, and scalable API, communicatingwith a PostgreSQL database used exclusively to store the securely encrypted blobs of data, never the plain-text passwords or themaster password itself. This combination ensures data integrity and high availability while maintaining a strict zero-knowledgesecurity standard. Enhanced User Experience and Cybersecurity Impact Beyond the foundational security, the applicationprovides essential features that promote better cybersecurity habits among users. Developed with React for a responsive andintuitive user interface, the Password Manager offers a seamless experience for managing credentials. Its strong passwordgeneration feature mitigates the risk of users choosing weak or easily guessable passwords, a leading cause of data breaches.Furthermore, the ability to organize credentials category-wise significantly improves usability and management efficiency.Crucially, the auto-lock safety mechanism automatically logs the user out after a period of inactivity, protecting the unlockedvault from unauthorized access on a shared or unattended device. This project effectively demonstrates how modern webdevelopment technologies React for front-end, Node.js/TypeScript for back-end, and PostgreSQL for data storage can beintegrated to deliver a practical and high-impact solution to a critical real-world cybersecurity challenge: eliminating thedependence on weak and repeated passwords