Data Breach @ LastPass

LastPass

A quick note to introduce you to LastPass. They are one of many companies that maintain your user ID and passwords online. The idea is that you log in and can retrieve the keys as needed when you are anywhere. Tools like these are more secure than maintaining your password via your browser. Chrome and Edge have introduced the idea of sync in their browsers if you do use it make sure if you are on a public computer you signout of the browser before walking away.

So tools like LastPass are intended to be more secure and absolutely are. However, accounts can be hacked, and passwords can be socially gathered by phishing attacks even these tools have some limitations.

What went wrong

The company said that vault data was taken by cyber intruders. They gained access by stealing the keys of a LastPass employee. The company continued to indicate that the data included both unencrypted and encrypted data. According to TechCrunch, it was not clear how recent the stolen backups were. They also point out that the protection of encrypted data is only as good as the user’s master password.

This goes back to the idea that a password should be easy for you to remember and not something that people would know about you. Another thing about passwords is if you create them well you should not have to write them down all over. So for all of you who use your dog’s name and your birthday, the mascot of a school, home address etc. Be more creative and cryptic.

TechCrunch and other links

Zach Whittaker of TechCrunch published the article LastPass says hackers stole customers’ password vaults please take a look at his article for more details.

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