Password Manager
What is a password Manager
Password managers allow you to store a secure password for each website that is unique from any other site. Your password is complex and secure, and you don’t have to remember unique passwords for every site you access.
LastPass allows you to securely sign in automatically to sites, and it gives you a good experience by making sure that it is available when you need it, and only autofilling when you want it to. Notice the three dots in the screenshot below, if you click them LastPass will open up on this page with more features.
How do I get one?
For most people we recommend either LastPass or Dashlane. LastPass is the best option for most people (and the SAU IT team uses it, so we can help you with it much easier), some people who only use Mac OS (Apple Devices) find that they have had a better experience with Dashlane. Lastpass can do almost everything for free, while Dashlane requires a subscription for many key features. 1Password and KeePass are also good tools, but they are more complicated to setup.
The free version of LastPass allows you to do everything except for turning on MFA and sharing passwords with other people.
Should I get the browser extension for LastPass?
Yes, but it works best in Google Chrome. If you work mostly in Firefox you will have a better experience having the browser extension and the downloaded version of LastPass working in tandem.
Won't attackers try to steal my password manager account?
Yes, but this is a smaller risk than repeatedly using a handful of passwords for all the sites you use on the internet. If you purchase a password manager subscription it will usually come with MFA to further secure your passwords. Again, make sure your password manager password is strong and unique from any other password you have created.
Should I use my SAU email account to sign up for LastPass?
This question doesn't have an easy answer because it can go both ways. Most of us in IT have a personal LastPass account and a separate work LastPass account, which are linked together. If one of us leaves SAU, we lose our SAU passwords but maintain our personal passwords that are connected to a separate email account. We recommend following this same path, but we also understand that this won't make sense for everyone.