We live in a world where passwords abound. The ATM pin, the password to log in to the operating system, the code to unlock the mobile, the passwords for social networks and so on. To this must be added the DNI number, the tax identification number, various partner numbers, expiration dates of credit cards and family events.
Password managers came to solve this problemto. Since they are multi-device and allow data to be imported and exported, we only have to remember the password that unlocks them.
The free version of LastPass
LastPass is a password manager that my partner Isaac included in your list of productivity recommendations. Its free version can be used from the browser or as an external application and includes the ability to auto-fill forms. The premium version incorporates warnings about whether our email addresses appear in exposed password databases, supports multi-factor authentication and enables access to another user in case of emergency. It also allows you to store 1 gigabyte of data in the cloud.
For most home users, the free version is enough, or rather it was enough.
As of March 16, the company makes a change in its policies and in order to get more paying users decided to limit the functionality of the free LastPass accounts. From these changes, which undoubtedly will not make customers happy, each user You can only use LastPass for free on one type of device: computers or mobile devices. That is, either you use an account for each device or you look for another multiplatform manager. Also, free users can forget about email support.
According to the information provided by the company, if you have several devices with your free account, the active device will be the first one you log in with as of March 16, 2021. Anyway, each user will have three chances to change it and find the option that is most useful to them.
According to some analysts, the goal of LastPass (which recently changed owners) is to increase the percentage of the 25 million users who pay for use.
Anyway, if I used it, I would look for a change. According it was informed in the Financial Times, There are seven trackers in the LastPass Android app, including four from Google and others that collect data for marketing companies. While LastPass app users can choose not to use trackers, open source apps do not include any.
Exporting your data and closing your account
Unless you want to change all passwords and enter them manually in the new manager, it is best to use the import option. Almost all password managers support the CSV format. To download your passwords, the procedure is as follows:
- Make sure you have the LastPass extension for your browser installed.
- Click on Advanced Account Options Export. Choose to export as CSV
- It will ask you for the master password. You will then be able to download the file and import it to the manager of your choice.
Once you have made sure that the data is in the new manager, you can delete your account by going to this page. Remember that the process is irreversible.
Alternatives to the free version of LastPass
At various times, both my colleagues and I recommended different open source alternatives. Doing a quick review we can mention.
- KeepPass: If you search on Google or the Android Play Store, you will see the name followed by different letters. The original version was available only for Windows, the XC version for Windows, Linux and Mac and version DX for Android. All three can exchange files.
- Bitwarden: It has a model similar to LastPass, the only thing that the free version has more functionalities and the program is open source. The big advantage over KeePass is that it syncs in the cloud instead of having to import and export password files. Has versions for Windows, Linux, Mac, mobile devices, and extensions for all major browsers.
I use Bitwarden on Linux, on Windows and on my Android phone. Both in its independent version and as a plugin for the Firefox and Chrome browsers. It can even be used via the web. It is efficient, safe and open source. In addition to saving website entries, you can save cards, secure notes, and secure identities. It uses robust peer-to-peer cryptography and syncs perfectly.
In short it is excellent and highly recommended.
Yes, it is going very well. But everything that is in the cloud is not secure, one day the bitwarden servers get hacked and goodbye. I prefer keepassxc, I use it on Linux and Android. It does not have a cloud, but one is not changing or adding passwords every two by three, so when there is a change I export the password file and overwrite it on the computer that I need. I am anti clouds and especially for sensitive information. I do not save sensitive passwords for you or in the browser.
If you were clumsy like me who already loaded a few external drives, cell phones and tablets, you would appreciate the cloud a little more.