Are your passwords safe?
Lots of people think that their passwords are fine.
After all, no one wants to get into my accounts.
In my last post, I discussed the dangers of bad passwords.
Today, I want to introduce you to my favorite password manager called LastPass.
It will save you time and effort while keeping your passwords safe and secure.
But, My Passwords Are Fine…
Compromises happen more often than you think.
Accounts are hacked, passwords are stolen, and worse.
I am not going to go into the statistics, methods, or even the reasons.
Let’s just say, there are bad people out there who will steal your account information if you are not careful.
How safe are you…?
- Do you use complex passwords? Or simple ones? – Most people use simple passwords because they do not want to be troubled to remember them.
- Do you store your passwords in a safe place? – It is simply amazing how many people store their passwords in simple Word documents. Or even worse, “taped” to the side of their computer.
- Do you use the same password for multiple accounts? – A recent study found that 75% of people use the same password for their Twitter and email accounts. Your USERNAME is common across many accounts. It is usually your initials and name or your primary email address. So, if I get your password. I can try it across your Paypal, Amazon, banking, etc.
How safe are your passwords?
What your password probably looks like: SarahJack11
What it should look like: Vl9bvR@Z*h
Now, the reason that most people don’t take more precautions is that it takes too much effort.
– Too much effort to constantly think up new passwords
– Too much effort to remember multiple passwords across accounts
– Too difficult to store them securely
These are exactly the reasons you need a Password manager app.
It will save you time, effort, and keep you safe at the same time.
LastPass is Effortless
I have used several password managers over the years. And there are many respectable ones out there.
My password manager of choice is LastPass.
The basic version of LastPass is…
– FREE
– Generates,tracks, and autofills all your passwords
– Works in all browsers, and is accessible from any system
You can also upgrade to LastPass Premium:
– Costs $1/month
– Gives you access to the mobile phone app
– No ads
– Allows two-factor authentication (see my description below)
– Premium Support
Here are 5 Reasons Why I Love LastPass…
- Auto-generates Passwords – You don’t have to think or remember complex passwords. LastPass will generate them with as many character/symbols as you want. And it will store and remember them for you automatically. I don’t even know the complex password to many of my accounts.
- Accessible From Any System/Cloud-based – There is no syncing across systems and devices. (This is the flaw in many password managers.) If I create a password on the road while on my MacAir, it is immediately accessible from my home iMac.
- Autofills Your Logins – Autofilling your passwords, when you are on a trusted system, saves much time and effort. It also protects you from rogue websites and phishing attacks.
- Mobile App – I have a LastPass premium account and love having the mobile app on my iPhone. I have access to my password vault no matter where I am.
- Two Factor Authentication – If you really want to lock things down and be a security ninja, you can set up two-factor authentication for your password vault. In layman’s terms, you will need two things to access your account: your passphrase, and an additional code key. In the security realm, this is known as “something you know” (your passphrase) and something you “have” (the code key generator). For years this was limited to companies that invested in hardware keys that generated codes. But, now you can simply use your mobile phone and Google’s Authenticator App. So, to get into my password vault someone would need my passphrase and my iPhone. Steal my password and you need my phone. Steal my phone and you still can’t get in without my passphrase. (And some knowledge of what you are doing!)
Try LastPass Today
If you have been putting off securing your passwords, then you need to take action today.
Make the effort to set up a password manager.
LastPass will let you manage your passwords with ease. You will save time while keeping your passwords secure.
So, try LastPass today and be safer with your accounts.
Your passwords will thank you.
How do you keep your passwords safe?
Hi Craig,
Thanks for this series on passwords – it’s been really informative.
I’ve not tried LastPass, but have been looking for something similar for a while. Nothing seemed to ‘tick all the boxes’.
My concern about having a cloud-based system (possibly unfounded) is around requiring internet access; I realise that, for the majority of stored passwords, we are talking about passwords onto web sites, and so you’ll presumably have an internet connection, but I also use password managers to hold other important, sensitive information (like KeyChain Manager’s ‘secure notes’). These need to be available off-line.
How do you manage such items? Does LastPass cover that, too?
Regards,
Ady
Hi Craig,
Thanks for this series on passwords – it’s been really informative.
I’ve not tried LastPass, but have been looking for something similar for a while. Nothing seemed to ‘tick all the boxes’.
My concern about having a cloud-based system (possibly unfounded) is around requiring internet access; I realise that, for the majority of stored passwords, we are talking about passwords onto web sites, and so you’ll presumably have an internet connection, but I also use password managers to hold other important, sensitive information (like KeyChain Manager’s ‘secure notes’). These need to be available off-line.
How do you manage such items? Does LastPass cover that, too?
Regards,
Ady
@adycoles Good question.
LastPass offers an offline app that can be used to store and backup your password vault. I have not used that app.
However, instead I have the premium service ($1/month) and use the iPhone app. So, yes, I do have my vault accessible offline stored on my phone. It works well.
@TMNinja Thanks, Craig. I’ve chosen to take up the premium service, as the other option didn’t look so good, and having LastPass on the mobile is reason enough to pay for the premium (given how much surfing I do on the iPhone).
@adycoles Great… let me know how it goes! 🙂
@adycoles Good question.
LastPass offers an offline app that can be used to store and backup your password vault. I have not used that app.
However, instead I have the premium service ($1/month) and use the iPhone app. So, yes, I do have my vault accessible offline stored on my phone. It works well.
@TMNinja Thanks, Craig. I’ve chosen to take up the premium service, as the other option didn’t look so good, and having LastPass on the mobile is reason enough to pay for the premium (given how much surfing I do on the iPhone).
Craig,
Thanks for this article! I have been thinking of LastPass, because I need a good password manager.
I just downloaded LastPass and I’m about to upgrade to premium version.
Cheers,
Timo
Craig,
Thanks for this article! I have been thinking of LastPass, because I need a good password manager.
I just downloaded LastPass and I’m about to upgrade to premium version.
Cheers,
Timo
@timokiander Thx, Timo.
I have been using LastPass for a short while now and it has entirely changed how I manage my passwords. 🙂
@timokiander Thx, Timo.
I have been using LastPass for a short while now and it has entirely changed how I manage my passwords. 🙂
@adycoles Great… let me know how it goes! 🙂
@adycoles Great… let me know how it goes! 🙂
Craig,
How does this work for accounts that more than one person might need to access? For example, if I use LastPass to generate and store a password for Amazon, and my husband wants to check the status of an order, can he?
Craig,
How does this work for accounts that more than one person might need to access? For example, if I use LastPass to generate and store a password for Amazon, and my husband wants to check the status of an order, can he?
@JenGresham Because lastpass saves your stored passwords on the internet (cloud is commenly used meaning accessible anywhere the internet is) then anyone who can access the account will be able to have access. There are additional security features available with premium and i wouldnt dare change to anything else with 2 years of usage myself
@JenGresham Because lastpass saves your stored passwords on the internet (cloud is commenly used meaning accessible anywhere the internet is) then anyone who can access the account will be able to have access. There are additional security features available with premium and i wouldnt dare change to anything else with 2 years of usage myself
@JenGresham Because lastpass saves your stored passwords on the internet (cloud is commenly used meaning accessible anywhere the internet is) then anyone who can access the account will be able to have access. There are additional security features available with premium and i wouldnt dare change to anything else with 2 years of usage myself
@JenGresham Because lastpass saves your stored passwords on the internet (cloud is commenly used meaning accessible anywhere the internet is) then anyone who can access the account will be able to have access. There are additional security features available with premium and i wouldnt dare change to anything else with 2 years of usage myself