Forgotten Your Password?
Keeping track of passwords is a pain, but fortunately, there are some tools to make things easier. There are other tools such as Keepass, 1Password, Roboform and the one built into your browser, but my favorite password manager is LastPass.
Lastpass allows you to easily ‘remember’ your forgotten passwords. Unlike some applications, Lastpass is a hosted solution. They store encrypted versions of your data which is a significant advantage over using your web browser’s built in tools, which can be compromised by malware and Trojans.
Boost Productivity
Lastpass is makes browsing frequented sites painless. Repetitively typing usernames and passwords can hamper productivity, especially when you enter incorrect credentials and lock your account.
Features that auto complete forms and automatically log you in further boost productivity. I usually open a series of browser tabs to my most visited places, being auto-logged in within seconds. Giving me more time to do what’s important – work.
Password Security
Security-wise, Lastpass uses SSL for data transfers – even though the data you are transmitting is already encrypted with 256-bit AES. This means if an attacker was to be listening on your network for packets, the data would be totally unusable for them without the master password and AES key.
Browser based password managers are frequently targeted by hackers. By default, most do not require a master password to decrypt the data. If your system is compromised with malware, attackers can easily siphon your most sensitive logins from your browser.
Lastpass can even deploy a virtual keyboard, which is perfect for if you are worried about a key logger attached to the real keyboard.
Unique Passwords
Law 6 of the 10 immutable laws of security says that there really is someone out there trying to guess your passwords, so strong passwords are a must.
Lastpass can instantly create secure passwords that meet best practices. This feature allows you to use a unique password for every important site.
Unique passwords are good should an online merchant, forum or other online site be compromised. You no longer have to rush around changing passwords on all of your accounts or constantly reset forgotten passwords.
Unique passwords prevent dictionary attacks. Hackers use dictionaries to guess commonly used phases, words and numbers. They even mine your social profiles for significant dates. They then use his information to launch brute force attacks. By using a unique, random password, you can block these attacks as well.
Confidentiality
The Lastpass team boasts that even they cannot access your data. They don’t have your master password, so even if an attack gains access to the Lastpass servers, your data is safe.
Getting Started
Lastpass is available for many popular web browsers including Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, mobile browsers such as Dolphin, just to name a few.
This extended functionality turns into a huge time saver for sysadmins such as me that need to be empowered on the go. I am able to quickly manipulate and use any credentials that I need, depending on the URL that’s in the URL bar.
I’m a strong advocate of Lastpass, as you can see. Plus, with it only being $12 per year (for premium, free version also available) it shouldn’t take rocket science to see why it’s a good buy and put an end to forgotten passwords.