Passware Kit Forensic
Investigation management software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$49 per license
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Information technology and software
- Public sector and nonprofit organizations
- Banking and insurance
What is Passware Kit Forensic
Passware Kit Forensic is a digital forensics password recovery and decryption tool used to access protected files, disks, and mobile device backups during investigations. It supports workflows such as recovering or resetting passwords, extracting encryption keys from memory, and decrypting common containers and document formats. Typical users include law enforcement, corporate incident response, and eDiscovery/forensics teams that need to access encrypted evidence. The product focuses on cryptographic access and recovery rather than end-to-end case intake, tasking, and investigation workflow management.
Broad password recovery coverage
The tool targets many common password-protected artifacts encountered in investigations, including office documents, archives, and encrypted volumes. It supports multiple recovery approaches (for example, dictionary, brute-force, and rule-based attacks) depending on the artifact type. This breadth makes it useful as a specialist component alongside broader investigation platforms.
GPU-accelerated cracking options
Passware Kit Forensic supports hardware acceleration to increase password recovery throughput on supported systems. This can reduce time-to-access for high-volume or high-complexity password recovery tasks compared with CPU-only approaches. Performance still depends on hash/encryption type, password policy strength, and available hardware.
Memory-based key extraction
The product includes capabilities designed to extract encryption keys and passwords from live memory or hibernation images in certain scenarios. This can enable decryption when traditional password guessing is impractical or when keys are present due to prior user activity. These functions align with forensic workflows that preserve and analyze volatile artifacts.
Not a full case platform
Passware Kit Forensic does not primarily provide investigation intake, case tracking, approvals, or cross-team workflow features typical of investigation management systems. Organizations often need separate tooling for evidence management, audit-ready case records, and collaboration. As a result, it typically fits as a point solution within a broader investigative stack.
Results vary by encryption
Success and time-to-result depend heavily on the encryption scheme, artifact type, and password complexity. Strong encryption with long, random passwords may be infeasible to recover within operational timelines. Teams need clear expectations, documented procedures, and escalation paths when recovery is not possible.
Specialized skills and governance
Effective use requires practitioners who understand forensic handling, cryptography basics, and safe acquisition practices to avoid evidence contamination. Misuse can create legal, policy, or chain-of-custody issues in regulated investigations. Many organizations also require strict access controls and logging around decryption activities, which may need to be implemented through surrounding processes and systems.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kit Basic | $49 | ~80+ file types (entry-level capabilities). |
| Kit Standard | $79 | ~120+ file types. |
| Kit Standard Plus | $195 | ~210+ file types. |
| Kit Business | $945 | ~380+ file types; distributed password recovery support (limited). |
| Kit Forensic | $1,195 | ~390+ file types; includes 5 Passware Kit Agents; 1 year SMS (Software Maintenance & Support) included (SMS value shown as $595 on site); optional add-ons available. |
| Kit Ultimate | $3,995 | All-in-one bundle: Passware Kit Forensic + Passware Kit Mobile + Device Decryption Add-on + 10 Agents + Passware Certified Examiner Training (bundle listing on vendor site). |
Additional / Lab editions & notes:
- Passware Kit Forensic Lab: $4,495 — includes 3-year SMS and 100 Agents (Lab edition listing).
Add‑ons (listed on Passware site):
- Device Decryption Add-on (1 year): $1,990.
- 10 Passware Kit Agents: $595.
- Passware Certified Examiner Training: $395 (site shows discounted/standard pricing in places).
- Rainbow Tables for Windows: $2,195.
- Rainbow Tables for Office: $2,195.
Notes:
- Many product pages show the listed prices and that a 1-year SMS subscription is included with several editions; SMS renewal and multi‑year SMS options (1‑year and 3‑year) are offered as paid extensions on the vendor site.
- Vendor offers volume discounts and reseller purchase options as noted on the product pages.
Seller details
Passware, Inc.
San Jose, CA, USA
1998
Private
https://www.passware.com/
https://x.com/passware
https://www.linkedin.com/company/passware/
