Spectre

Spectre is a privacy-first password and identity platform built around a simple idea: users should not have to store their passwords in an app or upload them to the cloud. Instead, its free, open-source password cipher calculates a unique password when needed from a user’s name, personal Spectre secret, and the website’s domain, then discards it. Spectre says this approach keeps the information on the user’s device and allows passwords to be recreated offline, including on a borrowed or newly installed device.

The platform is designed to help people manage online accounts with greater independence and reduce the risks associated with password databases, data breaches, account loss, and ransom attacks. Its algorithm can also support cryptographically generated login names and alternatives to security questions, extending its focus beyond passwords to digital identity. Spectre is available at no cost, with its code open for inspection and auditing. The site lists web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux as planned platforms, and offers an online tool for trying the Spectre algorithm.