LastPass introduces Account Recovery on Mobile

[Karlston]

LastPass launched a new feature in the mobile versions of the password manager LastPass today that allows customers to recover their account under certain circumstances.

 

Password managers help users when it comes to password use on the Internet. They provide users with tools to create and use unique passwords everywhere. The database is usually protected by a master password that the user needs to enter to decrypt the password database and access stored passwords and other information.

 

Password managers may support other authentication options. KeePass, a popular free password manager supports key files or Windows user accounts.

 

Users who forget the master password are in a precarious situation as it is the only option to unlock the database unless recovery options are available.

LastPass Mobile Account Recovery

 

LastPass launched a new feature called LastPass Mobile Account Recovery today that introduces an option to recovery a LastPass account in case the master password is not accepted anymore by the service.

 

The feature is only available in the mobile LastPass applications for Android and iOS.  Mobile account recovery requires a mobile device with fingerprint or Face ID authentication support.

 

Basically, what it does is unlock an option to recover a LastPass account using the authentication method. While LastPass makes no mention how the feature works, it appears that it links biometric authentication to the LastPass account so that users of the service may reset the master password using it.

 

It should be clear that LastPass users need to configure the feature before it becomes available.

 

The company notes that the account recovery feature is device-specific. If you want it to be available on all devices, you need to enable it on all of them.

 

If you are using LastPass on an Android device, you need to configure fingerprint authentication first; if you use it on an iOS device, you need to set up Face ID instead.

 

Setup is identical afterwards: sign in to the LastPass application on the mobile device. LastPass should display a notification about the new account recovery option; if it does not, go to Menu > Settings > Security and enable the unlock feature (called Use Fingerprint to Unlock on Android, and Use Face ID on iOS), and toggle the account recovery feature afterward.

 

Here is a video by LastPass that demonstrates the feature.

 

 

If you need to reset your LastPass master password, select "forgot password" when you get to the login screen. From there, select "Recovery with Fingerprint" or "Recovery with Face ID" and authenticate using the biometric authentication option.

 

LastPass will prompt you for a new master password that you may enter directly. You may also add a password hint. The selection of "set master password" completes the process.

Closing Words

LastPass recommends that customers enable the new account recovery option on their mobile devices even if they only use the desktop version of the password manager.

 

The new option is certainly helpful in restoring an account if the master password cannot be remembered; users should take note, however, that it could also open up a new option for third-parties to gain unauthorized access to the account through coercion.

 

Cautious users might want to stick to using the password hint option as the only resort when it comes to account recovery.

 

Source: LastPass introduces Account Recovery on Mobile (gHacks - Martin Brinkmann)

[BioHazard]

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