What if a stranger knew everything about you: Where you live and work, the names and contact information for everyone in your personal and professional life, your credit card and banking information, your online purchase history, your hobbies and interests, your food preferences, and even your exact location for the past decade. Not only that, they can access your photographs, read your emails, follow you wherever you go, and even replicate your fingerprint.
Sounds – at the very least – creepy.
Now, let’s up the ante. Imagine this stranger sharing all of your personal information with 100,000 of the most technically savvy people in the world. Would you feel safe? Of course not. Guess what, this isn’t a fictional scenario; it’s already happening. And you’re handing over new information to them everyday. Who are they? In a word, Google. Google and their 100,000 employees.
Why shouldn’t you use Google as password manager? When Chrome saves your passwords in your Google account, all your passwords are visible. This means that if your account is hacked, the hacker has access to all your other accounts. Don’t think it can happen to you? Think again.
A data leak warning was issued to millions of Google Chrome users in July of this year. The breach revealed medical records, credit card information, online shopping history, travel arrangements, GPS location, file attachments, photos and more. How? Extensions that were added to Google Chrome gained access to the account credentials of over 4 Million Chrome users, and several Fortune 500 companies.
What can you do to protect yourself? Manage your passwords in a safer platform. Because we use LastPass – as do most Cyber Security Specialists – we’ll talk about the features and benefits of using the LastPass password management platform instead of storing your credentials in Google. Yes, there are other password management systems – and, while weren’t not in the business of promoting LastPass – we’re just more familiar with them. With that in mind, here’s what you should know before making the change.
First, learn how to turn off Google’s password management settings, in the article below…
Related: To learn, How to Manage Google’s Password Settings, CLICK HERE.
Now, let’s talk about why using a password manager like LastPass is a better option for you.
In a great article called, Why Can’t I Just Use my Browser? LastPass writer, Katie Petrillo, explained it this way…
With LastPass, your data is not stored in a single ecosystem (such as your browser). Rather, LastPass syncs all of your data across every browser and device you use.
Your LastPass account is protected by a master password that only you have. The master password is never sent to LastPass servers and can only be retrieved by you. Encryption and decryption happens locally on your device. Their zero-knowledge architecture ensures that they never have the master password, and therefore never have the key to your data.
The term ‘password manager’ is a little misleading. Password managers like LastPass allow you to not only upload passwords, but also important information like medical IDs, your AAA number, and passport numbers.
Here are some other great features and benefits…
Password generator: LastPass allows you to generate strong passwords right from the ‘new password’ field or your browser extension. So no more using the same password for several different sites; the built-in password generator creates long, randomized passwords that protect against hacking.
Payment cards & addresses: When you’re ready to make a purchase, your profile will fill all your payment and shipping details for you. With LastPass, securely storing those details in your vault means you can fill them in just a few clicks.
Store Digital Records: Some things shouldn’t be sent in a text. Conveniently and safely share passwords and notes with anyone you choose to share select items with. Insurance cards, memberships, Wi-Fi passwords… keep them all safe and easy to find.
Security Challenge: Put your passwords to the test with the Security Challenge and find any weak, duplicate, and potentially-insecure passwords.
Sharing and Disaster Recovery (DR): If an employee suddenly leaves, you can revoke their privileges, but you retain access to the passwords, and credentials they created; unlike information that was stored in their browser. And, if you choose to share specific items with a trusted friend, colleague, or family member they access important information in cases of emergency or crisis.
In one unfortunate event, a CEO died suddenly. He never shared his passwords, and now his customers can’t access $190 million dollars. The CBC broke the story after Gerald Cotten, a 30 year old CEO of crypto exchange QuadrigaCX, died due to complications with Crohn’s disease while on a trip to India. What makes the story worse, is that even though his widow has his encrypted laptop in her possession, neither she nor a company they hired to try to hack the passwords has been able to crack the code.
Related: To see the infographic for: The Top 10 Reasons Hackers Love Consumers and Employees, CLICK HERE.
In short, nearly 17 million people and 60,000 businesses trust LastPass for their password management. There are even free individual plans available! But, we suggest upgrading to the premium or family plan for individuals, and to the Team, Enterprise, MFA or Identity plans for businesses. If you’d like to learn more, visit LastPass directly at http://www.lastpass.com
***Plans and pricing are at the bottom of the link
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