LastPass Evaluation 2024: Is it Nonetheless Secure and Dependable? – Uplaza

In 2022, LastPass skilled two main information breaches that resulted in buyer information being stolen. This information consisted of encrypted fields corresponding to web site usernames and passwords, safe notes and form-filled information, and unencrypted information corresponding to web site URLs.

Whereas LastPass provides an honest password supervisor expertise with its slew of two-factor authentication choices and constant password seize and replay, its latest safety incidents forestall us from recommending their service.

Is LastPass secure?

Due to the latest information breaches, I wouldn’t say LastPass is secure to make use of. In 2022, LastPass skilled two main information breaches that led to each LastPass buyer and firm information being stolen. The primary incident, which occurred in August 2022, concerned a software program engineer’s company laptop computer being compromised.

Based on LastPass, the incident allowed a foul actor “to gain access to a cloud-based development environment and steal source code, technical information, and certain LastPass internal system secrets.” The corporate reiterated that “[n]o customer data or vault data was taken during this incident.”

SEE: Find out how to Run a Cybersecurity Threat Evaluation in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)

Sadly, LastPass disclosed a second breach on November 22, 2022, whereby the information gained within the August 2022 breach was utilized to entry LastPass buyer information. Specifically, the risk actor gained “unauthorized access to cloud backups” that included “system configuration data, API secrets, third-party integration secrets, and encrypted and unencrypted LastPass customer data.” This buyer information consisted of encrypted fields corresponding to web site usernames and passwords, safe notes, and form-filled information and unencrypted information corresponding to web site URLs.

LastPass has mentioned that the encrypted information stays safe with 256-bit AES encryption as long as the consumer’s grasp password makes use of their password finest practices, corresponding to having a 12-character minimal and never reusing the grasp password on different websites. In January 2024, LastPass introduced that the corporate will implement a requirement for all clients to make use of a grasp password with not less than 12 characters. Up to now, a 12-character grasp password was the default setting, however clients nonetheless had the power to decide on a grasp password with fewer characters. It’s the firm’s hope that efforts corresponding to these will “create stronger and more resilient encryption keys for accessing and encrypting [customer] LastPass vault data.”

In Could 2024, LastPass introduced it will separate from earlier guardian firm GoTo and can now function as an impartial firm beneath LMI Father or mother, L.P. The corporate additionally mentioned it can spend money on the institution of a devoted risk intelligence workforce, “designed to protect the broader LastPass community by proactively monitoring for, analyzing, and helping to mitigate potential threats.”

SEE: LastPass Free vs Premium: Which Plan Is Proper for You? (TechRepublic)

Whereas LastPass continues to implement safety adjustments in an effort to rebuild public belief, I imagine the chance merely isn’t price taking given the corporate’s tumultuous historical past of breaches. Apart from the 2022 breaches, LastPass has had safety incidents since 2011. There’s even been a report linking the stolen LastPass accounts from November 2022 to a string of cryptocurrency heists.

You may be higher off utilizing safer password managers, corresponding to Dashlane or Keeper, as each firms have but to report information breaches.

Is LastPass free?

LastPass has a free model, albeit with restricted options. It provides a limiteless variety of password storage and comes with one account. In comparison with a premium LastPass subscription, the free tier will solely enable for one system sort. Because of this you’ll solely be capable to use LastPass Free on both a pc or a cellular system.

Different limitations embody not having LastPass’ One-to-Many password sharing function, no emergency entry capabilities, and the shortage of superior multi-factor authentication choices corresponding to YubiKey and fingerprint authentication.

SEE: Find out how to Use LastPass Password Supervisor (TechRepublic)

When you’re in search of a free model to make use of long-term, I like to recommend making an attempt out Bitwarden’s free model. It provides the identical limitless variety of password storage as LastPass but in addition permits entry to vaults on a limiteless variety of consumer units, in comparison with LastPass’ one-device sort restrict.

For these curious to study extra about password managers, how they work, and the way they might profit you, take a look at our Password Managers 101 video function.

LastPass pricing

Like most password managers, LastPass categorizes its pricing into Single Customers & Households and Enterprise clients. Let’s check out the primary group or plans.

LastPass’ Premium and Households plans are on par with most of its competitors. Its $3 monthly Premium plan falls in the course of comparable subscriptions from Dashlane ($4.99 monthly) and RoboForm ($1.99 monthly).

The story is identical for its Households plan, priced at $4.00 monthly, masking six accounts. As of August 2024, it sits in an analogous value vary with Dashlane’s Pals and Households plan for $7.99 monthly that accommodates 10 customers.

SEE: The 6 Greatest LastPass Options for 2024 (TechRepublic)

When you’re particularly fascinated by a household plan, Bitwarden’s Households plan at $3.33 monthly for six customers is presently the very best deal. It covers the identical most of six customers at a extra inexpensive value. It additionally has a great safety fame as an open-source password supervisor. To study extra, learn our full Bitwarden evaluation.

LastPass’ Enterprise plans include LastPass Groups and Enterprise.

LastPass’ Groups plan, at $4.00 per consumer monthly, is on the pricier finish. If we evaluate it to 1Password’s Groups Starter Pack, you possibly can cowl 10 customers for $19.95. The identical variety of customers by LastPass Groups would quantity to $40 — a giant soar in value. Bitwarden’s Groups Starter plan is analogous, priced at $20 for as much as 10 customers.

LastPass Groups permits as much as 50 customers, which can be useful to smaller groups with greater than 10 members. Nevertheless, it’s vital to reiterate that you just received’t get the identical degree of safety with LastPass in comparison with different password managers.

SEE: Keeper vs LastPass (2024): Which Password Supervisor Is Higher for Your Enterprise? (TechRepublic)

LastPass Enterprise is within the center vary by way of comparable plans to the competitors. LastPass Enterprise, at $7 per consumer monthly, is in between Bitwarden’s Enterprise plan for $6 per consumer and Dashlane’s $8 per consumer.

LastPass provides a free 30-day trial for its Premium and Households plan and a 14-day trial for its Groups and Enterprise subscription. When you actually wish to strive LastPass, going for one among these trials is your only option by way of pricing.

Key options of LastPass

Apart from password technology, autofill, and multifactor authentication, LastPass features a few attention-grabbing options that make it stand out from the competitors.

One-time passwords

LastPass means that you can create a set of short-term, one-time passwords (OTPs) everytime you wish to entry your vault from a public pc and don’t wish to enter your grasp password.

OTPs might be helpful for individuals who incessantly journey and don’t convey their very own pc or system on a regular basis. These enable customers to entry their vaults remotely with out having to fret about keyloggers or malware stealing their grasp passwords at any time when they use public WiFi.

Nation restriction

One other travel-friendly function is LastPass’ Nation Restriction toggle. This permits customers to solely enable logins from chosen international locations, including a layer of safety everytime you’re touring or abroad.

This can be a handy set-and-forget function that vacationers can make the most of to guard their passwords from being illegally accessed by malicious third-parties at any time when they’re overseas.

Take notice that these nation restrictions might be bypassed in case you use a digital non-public community (VPN), as VPNs could make it seem that you just’re abroad or location apart from your personal.

Safety dashboard

LastPass additionally features a password well being function known as Safety Dashboard. It offers you a Safety rating that analyzes consumer safety, checks when you have any at-risk passwords, and means that you can handle trusted units.

It additionally incorporates a darkish internet monitor that checks whether or not a specific e mail tackle you’ve gotten is compromised or is concerned in an information breach at one other firm or service.

I personally like how LastPass bundles each its safety rating and darkish internet monitoring into one web page, giving customers quick access to the 2 complementary instruments in a single place.

LastPass authentication and safety choices

LastPass comes with a powerful variety of multifactor authentication choices. Without spending a dime customers, there’s LastPass MFA, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Toopher, Duo Safety, and Grid.

In the meantime, Premium customers can arrange a YubiKey USB as their second issue, in addition to fingerprint or good card authentication. LastPass Enterprise customers additionally get entry to Salesforce authentication.

By way of safety choices, LastPass means that you can set trusted units that allow you to skip MFA. Whereas I personally don’t advocate this due to the chance of publicity, it could be handy to show this on in case you’re solely accessing your vault from one machine or location. LastPass additionally retains a file of the cellular units with entry to your LastPass account and your location historical past.

LastPass interface and efficiency

I used LastPass’ internet vault for many of my testing, and I discovered the interface to be pretty intuitive. Every part from my vault to extra superior choices or settings like emergency entry and MFA have been positioned the place I anticipated them to be.

Design-wise, I feel LastPass’ interface appears to be like a bit dated in comparison with the competitors. Dashlane and Keeper, for instance, have extra graphical designs in comparison with LastPass’ very plain interface. I additionally discovered navigating by the LastPass interface to be a bit clunky, with some settings taking a bit longer to load in comparison with the competitors.

For efficiency, nevertheless, I encountered zero points with LastPass’ password seize and replay capabilities. Its autofill function was additionally dependable, filling in username and password fields with none hiccups.

I additionally actually appreciated how the LastPass vault enables you to launch the actual app related to a given login.

With this, one can theoretically use LastPass as a kind of command heart the place you possibly can launch and signal into your most-used apps and companies simply.

General, whereas I want LastPass had a extra up to date design, it offered an easy-to-understand consumer expertise.

LastPass cellular app

The expertise on the LastPass cellular app is kind of the identical as its internet utility.

I used LastPass’ Android counterpart on my Google Pixel 6 for this evaluation, and it inherits the identical intuitive consumer interface of its internet app.

By default, LastPass cellular blacks out screenshots inside the app — an underrated safety function that stops dangerous actors from stealing information out of your cellular vault. Fingerprint login on the app additionally labored nicely, and I actually appreciated the safety features included within the app, corresponding to an automated lock when the app is idle and account restoration by way of biometrics.

It inherits the identical older-looking design of the online app, however this implies you aren’t lacking a lot in case you solely plan to make use of the cellular app over the online model.

LastPass professionals

• A number of authentication choices.
• Intuitive consumer interface.
• Helpful one-time password function.
• Nation restriction performance.

LastPass cons

• Has been concerned in two main information breaches.
• Historical past of smaller safety incidents since 2011.
• Dated interface design.
• Clunky internet app expertise.

LastPass alternate options

Given LastPass’ latest safety incidents, I’ve listed three different password managers that haven’t been concerned in breaches and can present extra safety in your information.

Keeper

For bigger companies, Keeper is a good choose because it provides personalized bundles and curated pricing for enterprise clients. It additionally has a Enterprise Starter subscription for groups of 10 folks and a Marketing strategy tailor-made in direction of small-to-medium-sized companies.

Bitwarden

If safety is a prime precedence, Bitwarden is without doubt one of the finest. It’s open supply, which implies that its supply code might be reviewed, analyzed, and audited by the general public. It additionally runs on a zero-knowledge structure and implements end-to-end encryption for its password storage.

1Password

For an all-around expertise, 1Password is a secure wager. It comes with an intuitive and modern-looking consumer interface that’s coupled with high-end encryption in your information. It additionally provides a singular Journey Mode function that may profit customers who recurrently go overseas for enterprise journeys.

Is LastPass price it?

No, LastPass’ latest information breaches forestall us from contemplating it a worthy password supervisor. That is unlucky, as LastPass provides an honest password administration expertise with its intensive MFA choices and dependable password seize and replay.

Nevertheless, these options don’t imply a factor if LastPass can’t reliably hold your delicate info safe and out of dangerous actors’ palms. At this second, LastPass fails to hit this mark.

By way of options, choices corresponding to Bitwarden and 1Password can present the identical password administration expertise with none historical past of information breaches or hacking.

Evaluation methodology

My evaluation of LastPass concerned an in depth evaluation of its safety features, value, and real-world efficiency. I had hands-on expertise with LastPass by a 30-day trial of its Premium plan.

To check LastPass, I used its internet vault utility and browser extension on my Home windows laptop computer and its cellular app on my Google Pixel 6.

I rated LastPass on every thing from its password administration options to its pricing based mostly on an inner algorithm to get a score of three.4 out of 5 stars. The scoring was based mostly each on LastPass by itself and in relation to different password managers available in the market.