LastPass, strong passwords for the web

In 2013, security breaches and incidents (Target breach being the most recent) have demonstrated that password protection is crucial. Each of us have several web accounts such as social media websites, E-mail accounts, bank accounts, and so on. As the number of passwords one is forced to remember exponentially increases, many people often pick weak passwords that are easy for a hacker to crack.

An effective way to solve this problem is to adopt a password manager. There are several solutions available on the market. I have personally tested LastPass, which in my opinion is one of the best. 

This add-on is available for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Apple Safari, Opera and Sesame. LastPass features a free version and a premium version ($12 per year) and it supports all mobile devices. However, some mobile devices (i.e., iPhone and Android) require a premium account.

Unlike other similar programs, it's totally web based. To use this add-on, after installing it, you'll need to create an account on the LastPass server using an e-mail address and a password (Fig. 1). This one will be your master password; make sure to pick a very robust one and store it somewhere safe.

Fig. 1

           

Fig. 2 (Click to enlarge)

Once you have created your account, you'll start storing the information for the various websites that you use that require a password in the LastPass Vault (your password storage unit). You can also store your personal information to automatically fill in online forms on websites such as job boards , which makes for a much less frustrating user experience (Fig. 2).

The real deal with LastPass is the possibility to immediately access your accounts from any device by installing the add-on to your browser. A definite plus of the software is the possibility (both for free and premium users) to implement a two-step authentication. To do this, access your account settings from Preferences and select Grid multi-factor authentication (Fig. 3). This way the software will create an encryption grid formed by randomly generated characters that you'll have to print out.
In order to log in, you'll need to enter both your master password and four random values off your grid. This is very important because even though a hacker broke your master password he would not be able to access to your Vault thereby keeping it safe.

Wrap-up

The negative side of LastPass is that it lacks a free version for iOS and Android users. Also, even though LastPass makes your passwords safer, it relies on a master password and, robust as it may be, it can always be broken.

On the positive side, LastPass is a very reliable software. It doesn't store passwords locally but on the company's server and it allows you to access your information from any device with a high-encryption level. It also allows the option for a two-step authentication process that makes your account more secure and harder to break. Plus, $12 per year is a competitive price to pay for these functionalities and there's a way to ensure your master password a higher protection level, making it yet harder to break (see Resources below for more information). I recommend giving it a go.

Fig. 3 (Click to enlarge)

Resources:

• LastPass download page
• Grid Multifactor Authentication 
• How to build a (nearly) hack-proof password with LastPass and a thumb drive

Happy 2014!