Enhancing Password Manager Application Security By Root Detection with Usability and Security Evaluation

Passwords are commonly used authentication method for many digital applications. The maximum number of passwords that an adult can deal with is four to five passwords. In this time, password manager application is needed to manage passwords, because one person may have many passwords. Password manager is an application used to manage many passwords that are usually owned by someone to access their digital application. However, the use of password manager application will be very unsafe if the mobile device used is rooted/jailbroken. The application is very vulnerable when used on a rooted/jailbroken device, because unauthorized users can see the data in the application. To address this concern, this research focuses on enhancing password manager application security by adding root detection mechanism inside the process of password manager application. The proposed application is designed and developed for Android OS, combining security mechanisms and root detection. To present the results of the proposed application, this research uses usability and security testing. The results are proposed password manager application outperforms most downloaded password manager applications in Playstore such as Keeper, Lastpass, and Dashlane. It can be concluded that proposed password manager application significantly enhances the security of password manager application and provide users with a safer environment for storing their passwords and sensitive information. The contribution of this research is providing a robust and secure password manager by implementing root detection and combining to another security mechanisms from the applications and highlights the essential role of root detection in enhancing the overall security posture of password manager applications.