I like DashLane password manager but it has one spooky security feature: its automatic logout after X-minutes of inactivity setting doesn't work as expected. I confirmed with DashLane tech support that its inactivity timer only starts after all browsers close that have the DashLane extension.
This freaked me out: I left my computer for several hours and when I returned and opened DashLane desktop app, I was still logged in even though I set DashLane to logout after 15 minutes of inactivity. Granted, after only 5 minutes of inactivity in the Desktop application, it requires the master password to view or copy a stored password, but otherwise you or anyone else at your computer can still use the stored passwords to log into websites the way DashLane normally operates.
So I started pressing command shift w to logout of DashLane before quitting in order to completely exit DashLane and require the master password when starting DashLane again.
I suggested to DashLane support that the product includes couple of settings: (1) clearly state that the timeout feature doesn't start counting until a user quits all browsers that include the DashLane extension; (2) add another inactivity timer setting that's based on inactivity in the DashLane app itself and not browsers. They politely responded they'd consider it, but we'll see.
Sometimes I forget to manually logout of DashLane plus I often forget to close browsers when I leave my computer.
Instead of depending on remembering to manually logout, I automated the logout process for DashLane. It logs out about every 60-90 minutes. It's worked fine since December 2018 when I created it.
Here's how to automate it using macOS's built-in Automator.
=====
OVERVIEW
1. Create new app using macOS Automator (included with every Mac)
2. Permit new app to run in Mojave (might be necessary in older versions of macOS, too)
3. Schedule app to run in Calendar
=====
CREATE APP
1. Double-click Automator in the Applications folder
2. New Document, choose Application icon, click the "Choose" button
3. In left column under Library, click once on Utilities
4. Drag "Launch Application" to right column and set to DashLane
5. Back in Utilities in the left column, drag "Run AppleScript" to right column below Launch Application
6. Delete all text in AppleScript's white box in the right column
7. Copy/Paste this text into the white box:
activate
tell application "System Events" to keystroke "w" using {command down, shift down}
end tell
return input
end run
8. File menu, Save
9. Name it "DashLane_Logout" and leave File Format set to "Application"
10. Quit Automator
=====
PERMIT NEW APP TO RUN (perhaps only necessary in Mojave)
1. macOS, System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Privacy
2. unlock window (click the gold lock then enter your Mac's password at the prompt)
3. in left column, click once on "Accessibility"
4. in right column, click the “+” icon and browse to your application ("Logout_DashLane") and click Open to add it to the right column; make sure there's check mark next to Logout_DashLane in the right column
5. Lock window (click gold lock) and close window
=====
TEST
1. Log into DashLane if you're not already
2. Double-click your app "LogOut_DashLane" wherever you saved it; almost instantly it should log you out of DashLane. NOTE: if you're already logged out of DashLane, it's ok -- no error will happen
=====
SCHEDULE
1. Open macOS Calendar (Apple’s Calendar in Applications)
2. Create new "OnMyMac" calendar (not calendar in iCloud) and name it "Logout_DashLane" or similar.
3. Create a new event
4. In that new event, click "add alert," then next to "alert:" change "None" to "Custom"
5. Click "message with sound" and change to "Open file"
6. Click "Calendar" and change to "Other..." then navigate to your new app, "LogOut_DashLane," click it then click the "Select" button
7. Under that, change "minutes before" to "At time of event" and click OK
8. change repeat: to "Every Day"
9. select the start time, e.g., 8:00 am and shorten the duration so it's slim in the calendar
10. HASSLE: create several events exactly like that but with different start times so DashLane logs out throughout the day, every day, e.g., the same event at 8am, 9am, 10am...11pm, 12am, 1am, 2am, 3am
====
ANNOYANCES
1. if you start using DashLane 5 or 10 minutes before the event is scheduled, it'll log out of DashLane and you'll have to type your master password again to log back in.
2. While using other apps, the DashLane login prompt will come to the front and focus you there when the logout_dashlane app runs, even if you're in the middle of typing an email and document. I've learned to quickly quit DashLane when its prompt appears if I don't need it ( command q ).
====
SUMMARY
I'm trading convenience for security. I used to only use paper passwords but a password manager has helped. There's so much hacking going on I try to use best practices and not flirt with danger by leaving any password manager open all day.
This freaked me out: I left my computer for several hours and when I returned and opened DashLane desktop app, I was still logged in even though I set DashLane to logout after 15 minutes of inactivity. Granted, after only 5 minutes of inactivity in the Desktop application, it requires the master password to view or copy a stored password, but otherwise you or anyone else at your computer can still use the stored passwords to log into websites the way DashLane normally operates.
So I started pressing command shift w to logout of DashLane before quitting in order to completely exit DashLane and require the master password when starting DashLane again.
I suggested to DashLane support that the product includes couple of settings: (1) clearly state that the timeout feature doesn't start counting until a user quits all browsers that include the DashLane extension; (2) add another inactivity timer setting that's based on inactivity in the DashLane app itself and not browsers. They politely responded they'd consider it, but we'll see.
Sometimes I forget to manually logout of DashLane plus I often forget to close browsers when I leave my computer.
Instead of depending on remembering to manually logout, I automated the logout process for DashLane. It logs out about every 60-90 minutes. It's worked fine since December 2018 when I created it.
Here's how to automate it using macOS's built-in Automator.
=====
OVERVIEW
1. Create new app using macOS Automator (included with every Mac)
2. Permit new app to run in Mojave (might be necessary in older versions of macOS, too)
3. Schedule app to run in Calendar
=====
CREATE APP
1. Double-click Automator in the Applications folder
2. New Document, choose Application icon, click the "Choose" button
3. In left column under Library, click once on Utilities
4. Drag "Launch Application" to right column and set to DashLane
5. Back in Utilities in the left column, drag "Run AppleScript" to right column below Launch Application
6. Delete all text in AppleScript's white box in the right column
7. Copy/Paste this text into the white box:
activate
tell application "System Events" to keystroke "w" using {command down, shift down}
end tell
return input
end run
8. File menu, Save
9. Name it "DashLane_Logout" and leave File Format set to "Application"
10. Quit Automator
=====
PERMIT NEW APP TO RUN (perhaps only necessary in Mojave)
1. macOS, System Preferences, Security & Privacy, Privacy
2. unlock window (click the gold lock then enter your Mac's password at the prompt)
3. in left column, click once on "Accessibility"
4. in right column, click the “+” icon and browse to your application ("Logout_DashLane") and click Open to add it to the right column; make sure there's check mark next to Logout_DashLane in the right column
5. Lock window (click gold lock) and close window
=====
TEST
1. Log into DashLane if you're not already
2. Double-click your app "LogOut_DashLane" wherever you saved it; almost instantly it should log you out of DashLane. NOTE: if you're already logged out of DashLane, it's ok -- no error will happen
=====
SCHEDULE
1. Open macOS Calendar (Apple’s Calendar in Applications)
2. Create new "OnMyMac" calendar (not calendar in iCloud) and name it "Logout_DashLane" or similar.
3. Create a new event
4. In that new event, click "add alert," then next to "alert:" change "None" to "Custom"
5. Click "message with sound" and change to "Open file"
6. Click "Calendar" and change to "Other..." then navigate to your new app, "LogOut_DashLane," click it then click the "Select" button
7. Under that, change "minutes before" to "At time of event" and click OK
8. change repeat: to "Every Day"
9. select the start time, e.g., 8:00 am and shorten the duration so it's slim in the calendar
10. HASSLE: create several events exactly like that but with different start times so DashLane logs out throughout the day, every day, e.g., the same event at 8am, 9am, 10am...11pm, 12am, 1am, 2am, 3am
====
ANNOYANCES
1. if you start using DashLane 5 or 10 minutes before the event is scheduled, it'll log out of DashLane and you'll have to type your master password again to log back in.
2. While using other apps, the DashLane login prompt will come to the front and focus you there when the logout_dashlane app runs, even if you're in the middle of typing an email and document. I've learned to quickly quit DashLane when its prompt appears if I don't need it ( command q ).
====
SUMMARY
I'm trading convenience for security. I used to only use paper passwords but a password manager has helped. There's so much hacking going on I try to use best practices and not flirt with danger by leaving any password manager open all day.