How to Activate Secure Collaboration Features

Passpack offers password sharing, password sending and message sending features. To use these features, you must activate Secure Collaboration (it's not active by default) then add people to your People tab. You will need a Nickname that people can recognize you by, so that you can invite each other to connect.

1. Activate Collaboration

Once you are logged in, go to your Settings page and click Activate collaboration now! (this will allow you to use sharing, messaging and password sending features).

2. Choose a Nickname

This is a name that your friends and co-workers should be able to recognize you by. Type it into the field provided and check the spelling twice because you can not change it. There are some tips for choosing a Nickname here.

You'll also have to answer a semi-technical question. Here's some help making that choice:

• Choose Generate the keys server side if you use Internet Explorer or have a slow computer. 
• Othersise, choose Generate the keys in the browser. 
  When using this option, your browser may ask you Do you want to stop the script from running? Say NO and be patient .You only have to wait this long once during set up. Afterwards, ending messages and passwords will be instant. Otherwise, stop the process and choose Generate the keys server side instead.

The first time you activate Secure Collaboration, you are actually telling Passpack to create a 1024bit RSA (public and private) key inside your browser. This is an asymmetric key algorithm which takes a while to generate. The RSA 1024 bit can result in slow Javascript processing depending on which browser you are using. Chrome and Safari can handle it with no problems, Firefox is a little bit slower, and Internet Explorer is slower than a snail on its deathbed (that's why we give you the server side option as well). 

3. Invite Someone to Connect with You

The first time you invite a friend you will be asked to accept the Terms and Conditions. Take the time to read those few lines. It's only a one-time message. Here are instructions for sending and receiving invitations.  

How Many People Can I Connect With?

As many as you want! There's no limit. But remember: you're on Passpack, sending secure messages and passwords to and from "real life" people. There's no need to accumulate 300 friends, unless you plan on sending passwords to them all [smile].

What About Sharing? Is That the Same As Inviting Friends? 

No, it's not the same.

There is a difference between simply having connected with someone listed in your People tab, and actively sharing with another user. All accounts can connect with as many people as they want, however the number of users you can actively share with depends on the type of account you have (Free, Pro, Group or Team). Please see How Many People Can I Share Passwords With? for more information.