When to Use?
Q. Is LastPass mandatory?
A. No. However, if you are unable to remember all your passwords, then we strongly encourage the use of a password manager, and our recommendation would be LastPass. In today's technical environments, it's likely you have more passwords than you can remember. If this, is you, then you really should be using a password manager that can create and track complex passwords.
Q. How do I set up my LastPass Business account?
A. Once you have been added to LastPass Business, you will receive an invitation email from LastPass.
- Click Activate LastPass and follow the instructions in the email to set up your account.
Q. What are the benefits of a LastPass Business account?
A. Business Account Benefits
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Shared folders
- Security Dashboard
- Dark web monitoring
- 1,200+ pre-integrated Single Sign-On (SSO) applications
Q. How do I keep my personal and work LastPass vaults separate?
A. Create two LastPass accounts: one for work, the other for personal use. Your personal LastPass account provides a LastPass vault where you can store all your personal accounts, passwords, credit card information, and more.
One way to maintain separation between LastPass personal and your work business accounts is to use different browsers for each account. You can also do this with different browser profiles (within the same browser) to manage different accounts with different email addresses. Here are instructions for the three top browsers:
- Chrome: Add a person or profile in Chrome
- Firefox: Multiple Profiles
- Edge: Sign in and create multiple profiles in Microsoft Edge
Q. What if I already have a Grand Valley account with LastPass, and do not remember my password?
A. If you don't have access to your GVSU account, please reset your account.
Q. I heard about the LastPass Families benefit. How much does it cost, how does it work, and with whom can I share it with? And can I keep it after I leave Grand Valley?
A. GVSU has partnered with LastPass to provide LastPass Families at no cost. If you have a LastPass Business account, it now includes a complimentary LastPass Families account. This is a personal LastPass account granted to you that also includes five (5) additional LastPass licenses. Once set up as a Family Manager, you can invite up to 5 additional family members or friends to join your plan through your family Dashboard so they can also use LastPass to keep their digital lives safe.
If you leave GVSU, you will be prompted to purchase your own LastPass Families account by entering your own personal payment information. If you choose not to purchase a LastPass Families account, you and your designated "Family Member" accounts will be converted to LastPass Free accounts without the risk of any data loss.
Note: You will never lose any of your stored Vault items if you convert to a LastPass Free account. However, LastPass Free accounts only allow you to access LastPass from one device type (i.e., either all computers or all mobile devices).
Learn more about LastPass Free. To step you through the set-up process, see Activate LastPass Families. You can also learn more about the benefit at http://link.lastpass.com/families-as-a-benefit.
Q. Can I link my existing LastPass personal account to get GVSU's LastPass Families benefit?
A. Definitely! It's easy to link it with your LastPass Business (GVSU account) to activate LastPass Families. In LastPass, simply enter your personal account email and then log in to activate Families. To switch to LastPass Families, you will be asked to cancel your LastPass subscription at the other service, which will then allow you to claim your GVSU LastPass Families benefit. You can then link your LastPass personal account to your GVSU (Business) account so you can access everything in both vaults with a single login.
Note: If you had an existing personal LastPass plan, your account is now a complimentary Families plan, and you will not be charged at the time of your renewal.
Q. What happens if I am terminated or leave the company?
A. Faculty and staff will lose access to LastPass Business account. Your personal account if linked will default to a free LastPass account access. You can find more information and help articles about LastPass accounts at LastPass support.
Q. I'm trying to activate my new account, but think I lost the email. What should I be looking for? What if I can't find it or it has lapsed?
A. Your invitation will have been sent by LastPass
Q. How can I set up a browser extension?
A. For the most seamless experience, it is highly recommended that you install and log in to the LastPass web browser extension, which can be used for all your password management needs without ever having to navigate away from the website you're visiting. Read the article How do I install and log in to the LastPass web browser extension? or watch the video LastPass 101: Browser Extension
Q. How do I import passwords from other sources?
A. If you are coming to LastPass from another password manager, you may already have spent a considerable amount of time storing your usernames, passwords, and other data within that program or web browser. To assist with this transition, you can import your stored data seamlessly into LastPass. Here is that list of sources to help with the transition.
Q. How can I set up account recovery options?
A. Visit the document Set Up All Account Recovery Options for LastPass.
Q. In what ways does LastPass provide accessible functionality?
A. LastPass has enabled keyboard navigation, updated proper color contrast and readability, and has added regions and language tags to allow users to navigate with screen readers and keyboards more easily within the vault navigation across three main browsers. Read more in the section Building a foundation for inclusivity and accessibility in the post Celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day With LastPass. See also the results of their Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) report in Continuing LastPass’s Accessibility Journey: LastPass’s VPAT Report Now Available.
Q. What is the Security Dashboard?
A. The LastPass Security Dashboard is your command center for your digital security. In one view you can see your weak and reused passwords as well as any alerts on compromised accounts that need immediate action. Within the dashboard you can:
- Update weak and reused passwords
- Assess and improve your overall security score
- Monitor your email addresses for involvement in data breaches and get alerts when your sensitive information is compromised
For more information visit the LastPass Security Dashboard.
Q. How do I manage my vault?
A. See the document Manage Your Vault.
Q. How can I generate secure passwords?
A. LastPass can be used to both store and generate secure passwords. Generate a secure password by doing any of the following:
- Using the in-field icon – Click the Generate Password icon in the Password field.
- Using the web browser extension – Click the LastPass icon then click Generate Secure Password.
- From within your Vault – Click the LastPass icon then select Open my Vault. In the left navigation, go to More options > Advanced > Generate Secure Password.
For step-by-step instructions, read Generate a Secure Password. You can also view the video Generating a Password.
Q. How do I securely share a password?
A. You can share a password or other item (e.g., username or Secure Note) with another LastPass user by using the Sharing Center. This will notify your recipient, which then allows them to accept the shared password. Read How do I share an item? to learn more.
Q. What are shared folders, and how can I use them with my group to share passwords?
A. A shared folder is a special folder in your Vault that you can use to share site password entries and secure notes securely and easily with other LastPass users. Shared folders use the same technology to encrypt and decrypt data that a regular LastPass account uses but are designed to accommodate multiple users for the same folder. See What are shared folders? for full details.
Q. Is there a risk to putting all your passwords in one place?
A. While leveraging a password manager does "put all of your eggs in one basket", we believe the reward outweighs the risk. LastPass never actually has a decrypted version of any data. The only place the passwords are accessible in a usable form is on your machine. To gain this access, we require both a master password and two-step authentication. Here's what LastPass says about their security history.