Passwords Can Be A Drag
Well you are in luck because there is! Do you have trouble remembering all of your passwords and which websites you have created logins for? I know I do! Are you guilty of using the same password for multiple websites? There are millions, if not billions, that do the same! Are you passwords weak and comprised of something simple that you can easily remember? You aren't alone.
We all face the same problems with passwords today.
- A long, complicated password is virtually impossible to remember.
- A short password, simple password is relatively easy to crack.
- Remembering all the different logins for all the website you visit is a challenge.
How do you solve this dilemma!?
Luckily, that is the easy part with a password manager. Simply put, a password manager is a database that stores all of your login usernames and passwords. Simple right, but you are probably thinking that is too simple and has to be easy to hack right? Well, partially right. A good password manager, will be very difficult to hack, if not impossible. I am going to make this a mini-series to discuss the differences between the different password managers. Today, I am going to talk about one of the industry leading ones, LastPass!
Overview
LastPass is really simple and straightforward. Create one, super strong, but memorable password that you will use to access the rest of your passwords. The idea is if you only have to remember one password, it can be really strong, and you can also make all of your other passwords stronger because you don't have to remember them!
Compatibility
LastPass does this incredibly well. It is a cross-platform password manager that will work on the vast majority of devices out there. They have both iOS and Android apps, as well as extensions for all the major browsers.
Setup
When you first sign up, you give them your email address and you choose your "Master Password". This is the last password (get it, LastPass!) you will have to remember, so it has to be strong and secure. A phrase with some numbers and maybe a symbol is a good start. Make sure this phrase is easily memorable, but difficult for anyone to guess. Once you have that you are in! I recommend installing their extension so that you don't have to type in your passwords for each site. The extension also has a secure password generator, which will help you come up with passwords for all new logins.
Security
Let's talk security! LastPass uses AES-256 bit encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256 and salted hashes. Very secure in itself. Once you set your master password, it creates a unique, locally generated encryption key. This means that your data is decrypted and encrypted on your device. Your encryption keys and master password, is never sent to LastPass and is never on their servers at all. This is why they can withstand hacking. Even if a hacker were to get away with the digital vaults, they can't open it without your master password. And if it was strong, they aren't likely to be able to crack the encryption. On top of that, Lastpass offers two-factor authentication tools to help keep you even safer, meaning you will have to either get an SMS message, use their authentication app, or another method for authentication in order to access your account.
Why is this important?!
What happens if you forget your Steemit login, or the password you wrote down gets eaten by your dog? You are in trouble! What about your bank login or other crypto-currency wallets. If you lose that, you are going to have a bad time. Password managers, like LastPass, solve that problem, because you can securely store them digitally and have them handy all the time.
Final Thoughts
All in all, LastPass is super simple to use, has TONS of other features, and best of all, they have a FREE option. You can pay them $2.00 USD a month for Premium access, you just need to decide if it is worth it for you or not.
If you have any specific questions about LastPass, be sure to comment below!