LastPass is a free internet browser extension that encrypts and stores your passwords.
It’s a great tool for managing your passwords, and a super time saver if you visit a lot of websites in your daily work.
Logging into websites can take a lot of time, especially if you can’t remember where you recorded your password or user name. LastPass is a free online password vault which keeps a secure record of your user name and password for whatever websites you want it to remember. Not only that, when you decide to change a password or user name at any site already in your vault, LastPass asks whether you want to record the change. LastPass provides an option of logging you in automatically as soon as you visit a site. This saves lots of time!
Skeptics may wonder whether keeping passwords in the cloud is safe. To be as safe as I can be, I change my Last Pass password regularly and sporadically change other passwords and record the changes in LastPass. With Last Pass you need to remember only one password: your LastPass one which gives you access to all the others. MAKE SURE TO WRITE THAT MASTER PASSWORD DOWN and keep the paper in a safe place, because LastPass does not provide master password retrieval.
Some pointers for crafting your LastPass password:
- Don’t use any dictionary words. These can be easily hacked by powerful computers which run through options exceedingly fast.
- Don’t use a password or part of a password from another website.
- Don’t use a password containing your name or your user name.
- Use a short phrase or sentence as a memory aid. I find that an excellent way to craft a secure password that’s easy for me to remember is to make up a sentence or phrase of about eight to ten words which relates to something very personal, something which no one else is likely to know. I use the first letter of each word in this sentence or phrase for my password. Then, I throw in a number, a punctuation mark, and capitalize at least one of the letters. Then, of course, I write down the password on paper, and also write down the sentence or phrase. Very soon, by remembering that sentence or phrase I commit my master password to memory.
I might also mention that I do not use LastPass to log into any site involving bank transactions. If I get hacked, I don’t want my pocket picked!
— TCDavis