LastPass 2.0

Sometimes the best things in life really are free. LastPass 2.0, the latest edition of PCMag's Editors' Choice for password manager, won't cost you a penny, and it outperforms the competition, both free and paid.

The developers at LastPass don't scrimp when it comes to updates. According to the product's revision history there have been over a dozen revisions, large and small, since I reviewed LastPass 1.72 (free, 5 stars). I'll highlight the major enhancements in this review.

Thorough Installation
You'll go through quite a few steps installing LastPass, but by the time you're through you'll have a fully functional ready-to-run installation. The installer adds plug-ins for the browsers it detects and offers to create a LastPass account if you don't already have one. It checks your browsers for insecurely stored passwords and offers to import them, remove them from the browser, and turn off the browser's password management. The fact that it can do all this is pretty clear evidence that browser-stored passwords aren't safe.

New in this edition, during installation you can import the password and other details for your Wi-Fi connection into a secure note. After installation, you can choose to import the login details for every Wi-Fi connection stored on your PC. Once you complete the installation process, the installer offers to show a video explaining just what you can do with LastPass.

Secure Storage
With LastPass, all of your passwords and other data are stored online in a highly encrypted format. The system is designed so that the people at LastPass have no access to your password. Even if subpoenaed to release your encrypted data, they simply couldn't. And the encryption system they use is highly resistant to brute force attacks. I'm confident enough that I use it myself.

If you just can't stomach the thought of keeping your passwords in the cloud, you'll have to choose a different product. RoboForm Desktop 7 ($29.95 direct, 4 stars) stores your encrypted passwords on the local computer. Dashlane 1.1 (free, 4.5 stars) offers a choice between local and cloud storage. If you enable the Sync option it stores the encrypted data online with the ability to sync between different devices. But if you leave Sync disabled, all data gets stored locally.

Still worried? You might consider a self-contained option like MyLOK Personal ($89.95 direct, 4 stars) or the password manager component of IronKey Personal S200 ($79 direct, 4 stars). You won't get the full range of password management features, but you can feel secure with all your passwords in your pocket.

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