After first tightening down free accounts in 2021, LastPass has now confirmed a major security breach that led to hackers getting their hands on password vaults. There’s never been a better time to move to another password manager, so here are a few tips on how to do so switch from LastPass and export all of your passwords.
Major LastPass security breach exposes password vaults
On December 22, 2022, LastPass announced that a major security breach had managed to expose the password vaults of users. When it comes to password manager security, this is essentially a worst case scenario.
The breach gave the hackers access to customer vaults, but with encryption still turned on thankfully. The good news is that this means while hackers do have your account data, they do not have the key used to unlock it, your “Master Password.” However, this does mean that the rest of your data is only as secure as your Master Password was.
For most folks, the safest thing to do following this breach will be to change the passwords on many – if not all – of their accounts stored on LastPass.
What happened to LastPass free accounts?
On March 16, 2021, LastPass changed its free accounts by restricting a user’s passwords and data to just one type of device. That means a free user can only access their account from either a laptop/desktop computer or a smartphone/tablet. It’s hard to complain when the service is free, but it’s obviously a big deal for anyone using the service today. LastPass explains:
As a Free user, your first login on or after March 16 will set your active device type. You’ll have three opportunities to switch your active device type to explore what’s right for you. Please note, that all of your devices sync automatically, so you’ll never lose access to anything stored in your vault or be locked out of your account, regardless of whether you use computer or mobile devices to access LastPass.
Notably, too, support options for LastPass free accounts were heavily restricted as of May 2021. Following that date, free users were limited solely to self-help options, with email support only available to paid users.
How to export your LastPass passwords
To switch from LastPass to another password manager, you’ll need to export all your data. Luckily, LastPass makes this process a breeze, but notably you have to do it on a computer, it can’t easily be done from a mobile device or iPad/Android tablet.
First, log in to the LastPass website. On the sidebar, you’ll see Advanced Options. Under the “Manage Your Vault” section, you’ll then see an Export button. After you click that, you’ll be required to enter your master password to verify your identity, then LastPass will automatically download a CSV file with all of your exported passwords. Generally speaking, most other password managers that offer an import option will be able to use that file to pull in your passwords and data.
Alternatively, you can perform this same function through the LastPass browser extension; this process works whether you’re on Chrome, Firefox, or any other browsers. To do it, tap on the extension, hit Account Options and Advanced. From there, you can pick a CSV file, an encrypted file, or “Form Fills.”
But as mentioned earlier, following the major breach that occured, it would be good practice to change many if not all of your passwords.
Some of the best LastPass alternatives
If you’re looking to move away from LastPass, there are excellent options, both free and paid. Personally, I’m a 1Password user. The paid service costs just $2.99/month, or $4.99/month for family accounts. It works very well, but admittedly has a bit of a learning curve compared to LastPass. Alternatively, Bitwarden is one of the best free password managers. It’s open-source, which is good news for security and offers cross-device syncing even on free tier. To get additional features such as file attachments, “health” reports, and more, paid plans start at under $10/year.
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