Any user with active work on the Internet accumulates a lot of passwords from different sites, email clients, shops and pages in social networks. It is almost impossible to remember them all - some servers themselves generate codes consisting of complex combinations. To facilitate the fate of users, browsers offer services for remembering and transferring passwords, but this is not safe, because your information may fall into the wrong hands. Then LastPass plugin comes to the rescue: what is it and how to use it, we will tell further.
Work with LastPass Password Manager.
What is LastPass
LastPass extension is embedded in the browser and serves as a password manager: it helps to sort them, save and secure them. For storage, it uses the cloud, so even if the PC, tablet or phone falls into the wrong hands, it will not contain any information about the credentials. Passwords are encoded using the Randall system, which has never been subjected to a successful hacker attack, and programmers believe that it can be trusted. The application is created for different platforms and is distributed free of charge, but there are advanced features for $ 3 per month.
Opportunities
Depending on which version of the program you choose: paid or free, a set of functionality is provided. Features first:
- Safely save passwords: you can add, change, delete, sort them, customize usage.
- Access from any device: the application can be synchronized on a PC, phone, tablet and used from the comfort.
- The ability to share passwords with another person, set up sharing.
- Automatic filling of forms for entering a password - just save it once in the system.
- Secure Password Generator: the application will compile and remember it.
- The option "Secured records": allows you to store data of bank cards and payment systems without the risk of losing them.
- Checking the reliability of passwords, a reminder that it's time to change the code.
- Multi-factor authentication: for reliability, you can request additional verification of your identity before entering the site.
Premium version provides advanced features:
- Send passwords for sharing with multiple people.
- Option "Emergency access" in case of force majeure situations.
- Technical support without waiting.
- 1 GB of memory in the cloud storage.
Extension installation
Installing the extension is easy: just go to the official developer site from the device on which you plan to install. The system itself recognizes which distribution you need. You will also have to register and remember the password from your account in LastPass. Be careful - this is the only code that is important to know by heart for access to all the rest.
Transferring passwords to the manager
The application has another interesting feature - automatic password transfer. It is very convenient to use it so that you do not have to enter data manually.
- Open the expansion menu and options: More options - Advanced - Import - Other.
- Choose where to copy the passwords.
If, on the contrary, you need to export everything from LastPass, then there is such a function too - you will receive a document with a collection of information.
Add site
To replenish the list with a new code for an account on the site, you need to do the following:
- Specify the address of the site.
- Call it whatever you like, as long as you understand.
- Select a category for placement.
- Enter login and password.
- Make an explanatory annotation (optional).
Below there are also advanced options, check the boxes if you need them:
- re-enter password;
- automatic logon;
- to cancel the autocomplete.
The site will be in the general list. In the future, you can perform various actions with it:
- change all filled fields;
- delete;
- open access to others;
- create a backup copy;
- shift to another category;
- copy data;
- copy the site address;
- go on the website.
If you accidentally delete an item from the list, you can restore it by clicking More options - Advanced - Deleted items.
Filling out forms
On some resources, for example, in online stores, it may be necessary not only to enter a username / password, but also to fill out a whole questionnaire: indicating the name, surname, postal address, passport data, e-mail, telephone number, age and sex. If you fill out a similar form in LastPass (Add Form Fill tab), then in the fields on any sites this information will automatically appear.
Share password
To transfer the password to the person who uses the account with you, you need to open the Share An Item section and enter the addressee in the e-mail line, and then click the Share button. You will receive a confirmation email, and your friend will receive a link. If you click on it, a message will appear: “You have been given a password from such an account, do you want to accept it?”. After that, the code can be used to login.
security check
You can check the reliability of all your passwords using the appropriate function. The service will analyze and show you:
- how simple or difficult they are to hack;
- are there any that are used on different sites and pose a risk of data loss;
- obsolete, which you have not used for a long time.
Through the button “Open site” you can immediately change the code and save it again.
Password generator
The application can come up with a strong password for you: just specify the necessary parameters. If you want to remember it, then ask for a “spoken password” - it will be easier for perception, but difficult for hacking. Also, the generator will solve the problem with the codes for the "demanding" sites that insist on a certain number of characters, various combinations of numbers and letters, case change, etc.
Authentication Setting
To further protect the entrance to a site, you can configure multi-level verification. To do this, you can use either the LastPass Authenticator mobile app or receive the code via SMS. In the first case, you need to enable two-factor authentication in the browser, then go to the Play Market or the AppStore and download the application. The browser will offer a QR code, it needs to be scanned from a smartphone so that the application is synchronized with the plugin, and then the number that needs to be entered in both the PC and the phone. You can also select “Configure SMS” and specify the phone number to which confirmation codes will be received. Both methods can be used simultaneously while working on a site where data protection is extremely important, for example, in an electronic wallet.
LastPass on mobile devices
For smartphones and tablets there is an application of the same name that works under one account with a PC version and is able to store passwords for different installed software. The interface here is a bit different, considering the specifics of mobile software, but it is easy to understand it.
Removing an extension
Now let's talk about how to remove LastPass if you no longer need it:
- First make sure that you have all the passwords stored in it. It is best to immediately use the export function and get a file with your information.
- Plug-in for PC is removed in a standard way, through the "Control Panel" - "Add or Remove Programs."
- The mobile application is also deleted as usual: by dragging the shortcut to the basket.
If you are going to download LastPass in the future, you can stop, and if not, you need to delete the account. The official site has a special section dedicated to this. Note, the profile with all the data can not be restored.