Password Managers: Getting Started with LastPass

Password managers can track your stronger passwords, check your password lists for compromised or duplicated entries, and even generate your passwords automatically for you if you like.

Last Pass is one of our recommended password managers. The free version likely does everything you will need for your personal use. If you need more features, a paid version is also available. The information below covers getting started with the free features of LastPass.

Download and Install the LastPass Browser extension

LastPass runs as an extension in your web browser. and supports most major web browsers

  1. Visit the LastPass download page and install the option for your browser.
  2. After Lastpass installs, a new icon will appear in your toolbar . Click that icon and select “Create an Account now.”
  3. Type in your email address and create a master password.
    • Follow best practices for choosing a secure password when picking this password - make it unique and secure. This password will be the key to all your other passwords.
    • You should record this master password in a safe place like a home security box.
      In order to ensure the security of your passwords from compromise, LastPass encrypts your password vault with encryption with only one key - your master password. LastPass doesn't have a copy of this key so they can never access your passwords. This means your passwords are protected even if LastPass is compromised, but it also means if you forget this password LastPass will not be able to help you recover it.

If you want to use LastPass from your mobile device download the app for Android or iOS

Save Login Information for your Websites in LastPass

Now you can save your passwords in LastPass' vault. You can manually add passwords for each site - but it is often easiest to just visit websites as you normally do and allow LastPass to save your existing passwords as you visit each website.

When you login to each site - LastPass will ask you for permission to save that password to it's vault. Allow it to do so. As you visit more websites, LastPass will gradually be populated with all your accounts and when you return to each site LastPass can automatically enter your login information for you.

You can also click the LastPass icon in your browser and select "Open my Vault" to manually enter or update accounts and passwords for other sites if you want to get all your important sites recorded at once.

LastPass will let you organize your websites and accounts by "Folders" which is helpful in separating out Financial, Insurance, Entertainment and other types of accounts.

Check for Weak Passwords with LastPass' Security Challenge

Now that you have your passwords in LastPass, it can help you detect passwords that have been leaked on the internet, passwords that are shared between websites, or passwords which are just too weak.

  1. In your browser, click the LastPass icon and select "Open My Vault"
  2. Click the "Security Dashboard" option on the lower left
  3. Look for the "At risk passwords" indication and click to view and fix any risky passwords.

For many services, LastPass may be able to automatically change your password to a more secure option for you if you allow it to do so.

Add Multifactor Authentication to LastPass

It is critical to secure your password manager with Multifactor Authentication (MFA). Once you activate MFA for LastPass, your master password must be combined with a MFA confirmation to login in to your LastPass Password Vault.  To get started with LastPass MFA;

  1. Click the LastPass icon in your browser and choose "Open My Vault"
  2. Click Account Settings on the bottom left
  3. Click the Multifactor Authentication tab at the top.
  4. Click the pen icon next to the authenticator app you’d like to use and set the “Enabled” drop-down menu to Yes. Then follow the on-screen directions.

LastPass FormFill:

LastPass can also securely store information used in common web forms. This is similar to letting your browser store it but more secure as the information is encrypted and protected behind your LastPass MFA (see below).

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