Password crack: These programs save your login data

Forgot Password? With the right tools, you can crack access and restore passwords.


Password cracking - legal or illegal?


Without passwords, you no longer get lost today: online services, Windows computers or applications that work with activation rely on personalized access. Many programs also offer encryption of documents. This protects the data from the access of third parties and prevents manipulation. Examples are Office files from Microsoft or the Adobe Acrobat format.


Our advice: Manage passwords


What should I do if I forgot my password? In the case of online access, it is possible to reset a password via the restoration and an e-mail account. For Windows, network or documents, password-cracking tools help.


The use of such software for cracking passwords is however legally questionable. The Hackergesetz according to paragraph 202c determines since 2007 the handling of these tools and the restoring of passwords. Anyone who uses such tools to open up third-party accounts or unlock encrypted documents from third parties will be punishable. This can lead to up to one year's imprisonment or threaten to impose sensitive fines. This also applies if the Knack software is made available to other users.


Anyone who finds their own password or decrypts private documents should have no problem. In this case, the Knacktools are a real help to save personal data.


In the case of online accounts for e-mail, social networks or online services, it is in no way advisable to use cookies to determine the access. The systems of the providers recognize such actions and evaluate them as online attacks. A visit by the authorities is usually the result, and there is a legal aftermath. Use the restoration options of the web pages. For e-mail accounts such as Gmail or Outlook Online, leave a replacement address or mobile phone number. This makes it easier to reset the account data.


Through online offers, home networking and Smart Home, the user has to remember more and more accesses with a password. Security experts recommend giving their own secure password for each service. This prevents attacks, digital identity theft or access to files or devices at home. Most users are overwhelmed with this task. The use of password management is therefore advisable. Besides the well-known freeware KeePass, PasswordSafe is also a very good solution.


If you still need to recover a forgotten password, the tips on the next pages will help.