In a recent post, I discussed the dilemma facing anyone who does any significant amount of personal and professional business online: safe and secure transactions require the use of strong, unique passwords, but keeping up with that much information can be difficult from a time and energy perspective.
My solution to this conundrum (it may be more of a conundrum than an actual dilemma) is to use a free product called LastPass. After you have set up an account and chosen a password (yes, this is one password you have to remember), each time you visit a site and enter your login credentials, LastPass will remember that information, store it securely, and then automatically fill it in. Another plus is that it works on all of your desktops, laptops, tablets, handhelds, and whatever the next cool thing you determine is necessary to own.
Also, LastPass will actually generate strong passwords for you, which is especially helpful if you have a history of using passwords like "123456" and the clever "password."
Some aspects of LastPass that sound nifty but that I have not used yet include its automatic form filling feature, and its vault allowing storage of all kinds of personal and business data (like for instance the PIN I forgot at the gas pump).
The best way to understand how LastPass works is to watch one of their very short videos. I recommend either this one (What is LastPass?) or this one (Why Use LastPass?).
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