In this day and age of digital reliance, it is typical to have an umpteen number of accounts – from emails to social media to banking, etc. The problem we all face: TOO MANY PASSWORDS TO REMEMBER.
Many of us (my past self included), are hence, guilty of using the same password for several of our accounts for convenience. However, through this method, every use of the same password leads to an increased vulnerability and exposure to hackers.
Another old-school method of storing passwords is using a piece of paper to note down personal passwords. This method also comes with its own risks as these papers can be easily misplaced. Moreover, it is difficult to balance between discretion and convenience using this method.
As if managing your various accounts and passwords wasn’t already overwhelming, more and more platforms are setting more extensive parameters for setting password and log-in requirements. Logging into your accounts is becoming a painful process, but it shouldn’t be.
Introducing LastPass – Encrypted Passwords, Free to Use
LastPass is a freemium Password Manager that is: 1) Secure 2) Easy to Use 3) Free, with an option of a paid upgrade. LastPass helps you to generate, store and auto-fill your passwords across your devices. It uses local-only encryption such that one’s master password and keys to encrypt/decrypt data are never sent to LastPass servers.
In this post, we will introduce to you the various features of LastPass. Once you have successfully set up your LastPass account, you can bid farewell to the struggles of password management. 👋👋
Setting up your LastPass Account
The setting up of your LastPass account is extremely simple and fuss-free. Simply key in your email and set a ‘Master Password’. This ‘Master Password’ will literally be the ‘LastPass’-word you will ever, EVER that you need to remember. Preferably, use a new and secure password ( and not ‘Password123’ ).
The LastPass Vault
This is where all your passwords’ records are. You may access your various accounts directly from the vault once they have been stored here. The LastPass Vault is not only able to store passwords but other private information such as secure notes, credit card information, and addresses, etc. all using AES-256 encryption, which attests to their zero-knowledge security model.
Auto-generate and Auto-fill Passwords
After downloading the LastPass extension, whenever you are setting up a new password, LastPass simplifies this process for you by generating a random password that will be stored in your LastPass Vault. You may select different password settings to meet respective password requirements or tailor it to your own preference.
When logging into a site, clicking the LastPass icon auto-fills your password instantly, making logging into your accounts a straightforward and effortless process.
What about Chrome Passwords?
Google Chrome also has the option to save passwords and credit cards on Chrome. There are gaping differences between the two and the biggest of all is security. Using Chrome Passwords also gives Google full access to your information and allows them to track your usage and activity. Not to mention, logging into Chrome on any device (i.e. a friend or colleague’s PC), grants full access to all your passwords! (definitely a deal-breaker for me).
Also, LastPass keeps an encrypted copy of all passwords locally as well as an encrypted copy on their servers. That way, passwords can be accessed conveniently even without an internet connection through a local device, or through their server while online from any device.
LastPass Premium
If you wish to use LastPass on multiple devices simultaneously, you’ll have to upgrade to the paid option. LastPass offers a free 30-day premium trial which enables you to use LastPass. Thereafter, LastPass premium is still pretty affordable at $3/month and an even more reasonable family plan at an additional $1, at $4/month, providing additional features on top of premium features up to 6 users. A comprehensive comparison between the different LastPass plans can be found here. In my opinion, paying $0.66/month for BOTH password security and convenience is a no-brainer.
Conclusion
Easy to use and secure, LastPass is sure to be a game-changer. We would recommend you to subscribe to LastPass Premium as the multi-device functionality is really useful. Nevertheless, if you still have your doubts, you can still download first and use the 30-day free trial. Let us know your thought on LastPass in the comments below!