REINFORCE YOUR PASSWORDS
Use an authenticator app
Lastpass also offers a two-step verification phone app called Authenticator (IOS, Android and Windows Phone). To use it with your Lastpass account, open your browser, click the Lastpass extension, then click ‘Open my Vault’. Click the Settings (cog) icon at the bottom left, then Multifactor Options (the second tab from the left). Click the pencil icon to the right of Lastpass Authenticator. When the Lastpass Authenticator pop-up opens (see screenshot right), choose Yes from the Enabled dropdown menu, click Update, then enter your master password when prompted. When the pop-up refreshes, click Enroll, then click ‘Set up mobile app’. You’ll now be prompted to install the Authenticator app for your phone.
Click on the relevant app store for your device, then install the Authenticator app. You can also go to www.lastpass.com/ auth on your phone. With the app installed, go back to the ‘Set up mobile’ screen on your PC and click Next to see a barcode. Open the Authenticator app on your phone, tap the ‘+’ button, Scan Barcode (grant Authenticator access to your camera if prompted), then hold your phone up to the PC screen so the barcode (actually a QR code) fills the red square.
Once you’ve scanned the barcode it will disappear from your PC’S screen and the page will refresh. Click the ‘Set up text message’ button, enter your mobile phone number (Lastpass only uses this for security reasons and won’t use it to contact you), then click Next. Your mobile phone will now receive a six-digit code from Lastpass. Enter that into the box on your browser, then click ‘Finish text setup’. When the browser page refreshes, click Activate, then Done. You should now see a green box with Enabled to the right of the Authenticator logo.
If you see an error message it’s probably because you took a bit too long to complete the process. Click the pencil icon again, then repeat the above steps.
The next time you log into Lastpass you’ll see a Multifactor Authentication prompt. Open the Authenticator app on your phone, type the six-digit number into the box, then click Authenticate.
Secure other sensitive accounts
You can use Authenticator on other sites, including Amazon, Google and plenty more. To add two-step verification to your Amazon account, for example, log in as usual, then click Your Account (top right), ‘Login & security’, the Edit button (to the right of Advanced Security Settings), the Get Started button, then select Authenticator App (a barcode will appear – see screenshot left). Open Authenticator on your phone, tap the ‘+’ button at the bottom right, tap Scan Barcode, then enter the six-digit code shown on your phone into the box on Amazon’s site on your PC.
You’ll be prompted to add a back-up method (in case you don’t have access to your phone). You might choose ‘Voice call’ then enter your home phone number, for example (this will only be used by companies for security reasons, not for sales calls). When the page refreshes, click the ‘Got it. Turn on Two-step Verification’ button. To find other sites offering two-step verification, visit www.twofactorauth.org.