5.15.13. Security
Starting from version 1.9, 7 Sticky Notes offers you a new highly-important Program security and password protection feature! With this new feature you can now fully protect 7 Sticky Notes and your notes from being modified by not allowed users, and avoid others to change your data. This topic will describe the new "Security" section of the 7 Sticky Notes options, that is shown at the picture below:



At this page you can perform all security configurations, which includes: setting up, configuring, and clearing the global 7 Sticky Notes password, adding password protection for main program actions such as unlocking notes, starting 7 Sticky Notes, accessing the options, and accessing the Notes Manager, and also enabling the new 7 Sticky Notes Restricted Mode.

Each one of the options shown at the picture above are going to be detailed in the topics below:

1. Password Configurations Pane - Here is where you configure and manage the 7 Sticky Notes password. The top label is contracted by default, and once you click it, it will expand the password configurations with the "Enter current password", "Enter new password", and "Confirm new password" boxes, and "Clear password" and "Save password" buttons. Note that the "Enter current password" box and the "Clear password" button only be visible after you setup the password. Additionally, as shown in the picture above, if the password is set, a nice "key" icon will be displayed on the top of the pane, for you to quickly identify that it is configured.


The 7 Sticky Notes password and security feature is designed with some advanced data encryption mechanisms (including established ones) implemented to keep the password safe and fully encoded. Also the 7 Sticky Notes security modules are also designed to difficult any kind of backwards engineering that tries to figure out its safety mechanisms. This means that 7 Sticky Notes was specifically designed to safely protect and store your password.

But as you should know when it comes to security it doesn't depend on one action. Several factors take place, so when using the 7 Sticky Notes password, there are a few recommendations that must taken care of to improve the overall security level:

(1) Keep your pasword safe! Do not inform it for anyone (including me, I will never ask your password!!) and keep it safe.

(2) There is no "master password" or some kind of "I forgot my password" option, so keep your password protected!

(3) If you don't want for users to change the 7 Sticky Notes data - even when using the password - it is strongly recommended that you run 7 Sticky Notes inside a Standard User (non-admin) Account in Windows. If you run 7 Sticky Notes with password, but let users have full admin rights, they will be able to change anything in your computer.


2. "Enter current password" box - This is where the current password is entered. As commented above, this box will only be visible if have a password set, and it is used to check the access when changing your password, to prevent someone without rights from modifying it. The minimum password length is 4 characters, and all passwords are case sensitive. If your password is too short, an "x" image will show on this text box so you can enter it correctly.

3. "Enter new password" box - This is where you will enter the new password, if you want to change it. Also here the minimum password length is 4 characters, and all passwords are case sensitive. If your password is too short, an "x" image will show on this text box so you can enter it correctly.

4. "Confirm new password" box - Once you enter the new password, you will need to confirm it at this box, to prevent any mistype when configuring it. The password entered in this box must be an exact match between the new password box, including case sensitivity. If your password does not match the password entered, an "x" image will show on this text box so you can correct it.

 

5. Save password button - Saves the new password, or changes the current password. As commented above, if any password rule is not followed, or if the password confirmation is incorrect, this button will be disabled until you correct the password.

6. Clean password button - When you have the password set, you can clear it using this button. Note that in order to use this button and clear the password you need to confirm the existing password. If you don't enter the current password or if the entered password is incorrect you won't be able to clear the 7 Sticky Notes password.

 

7. "Require password to unlock notes" - If enabled all locked notes will be password protected, and in order to unlock them, you will need to enter the configured password.

8. "Require password to start 7 Sticky Notes" - If enabled, 7 Sticky Notes will ask for the password at its start up. If the password is incorrect, 7 Sticky Notes won't open.

9. "Require password to open 7Sticky Notes' Options" - If enabled, the program options will only be access if the configured password is entered.

10. "Require password to open the Notes Manager" - If enabled, you will only be able to access the Notes Manager if the configured password is entered.

11. "Enable 7 Sticky Notes' Restricted Mode" - Enables the 7 Sticky Notes Restricted Mode. The Restricted Mode of 7 Sticky Notes was created to allow a complete lock on the program. When you enable it, a new "Swith to Restricted Mode" item will appear at the program menu, allowing you to put 7 Sticky Notes into Restricted Mode. When in Restricted Mode, all actions will be completely disabled, that is, you won't be able show/hide/change any notes, won't be able to open the options or the Notes Manager, or any other action. 7 Sticky Notes will be completely locked. In the Restricted Mode, the only options available at the program menu will be (1) Exit 7 Sticky Notes, or (2) Exit the Restricted Mode. If you click to exit Restricted Mode and confirm the password, all 7 Sticky Notes functions will be enabled again.

12. "Start 7 Sticky Notes in Restricted Mode" - If enabled, 7 Sticky Notes will automatically start into Restricted Mode.