A Breach at LastPass Has Password Lessons for Us All

[Zorro]

The hacking of the password manager should make us reassess whether to trust companies to store our sensitive data in the cloud.

While many of us were unplugging from the internet to spend time with loved ones over the holidays, LastPass, the maker of a popular security program for managing digital passwords, delivered the most unwanted gift. It published details about a recent security breach in which cybercriminals had obtained copies of customers’ password vaults, potentially exposing millions of people’s online information.

From a hacker’s perspective, this is the equivalent of hitting the jackpot.

When you use a password manager like LastPass or 1Password, it stores a list containing all of the user names and passwords for the sites and apps you use, including banking, health care, email and social networking accounts. It keeps track of that list, called the vault, in its online cloud so you have easy access to your passwords from any device. LastPass said hackers had stolen copies of the list of user names and passwords of every customer from the company’s servers.

This breach was one of the worst things that could happen to a security product designed to take care of your passwords. But other than the obvious next step — to change all of your passwords if you used LastPass — there are important lessons that we can learn from this debacle, including that security products are not foolproof, especially when they store our sensitive data in the cloud.

https://tinyurl.com/y2rr4y7e

[cilla4progress]

1. Glad I opted not to use it!

I have a password "safe."

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Password-Safe/39907715?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=4765&adid=22222222228000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-51320962143&wl5=9033629&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113728321&wl11=online&wl12=39907715_4765&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAiAh9qdBhAOEiwAvxIok3o7daJIXgB7f3Lc-UmIQnqaWLrcyVitdTY7njNprqcgFdHGLtCH3RoCYUMQAvD_BwE

[AllyCat]

2. I always thought this was possible with password managers

And decided not to use them.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. What people don't realize about the cloud is that it

is someone else's hard drive, just not yours.

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. One more bit of security advise

I avoid clicking on tinyurl.com links.

[Zorro]

5. So insert preview. between the backslashes and tinyurl

to see the where the link directs.

But I bet you already knew that.

[masmdu]

6. Sorry, could you provide more details...this doesn't do anything when I try.

Thanks

[Zorro]

7. Do this

Copy the tinyurl to the browser window, then edit it to insert "preview." like this before hitting the enter key:

https://preview.tinyurl.com/y2rr4y7e

You will then see where tinyurl redirects you to confirm the link source.

I use tinyurl when the link is ridiculously long, as all the shared NYT links are.

[masmdu]

8. Thank you very much! I learned something today :)

[Skittles]

9. the cloud is just someone else's computer

nope, do not trust