What are Password Managers?
Most applications these days are password-protected – from banking to online shopping. The increasing vulnerability of online applications has created a need for complex passwords. It has also led to the requirement for diverse passwords for different applications, to reduce the risk of security breaches. This makes managing multiple complex passwords difficult for an individual. A password manager is a software application that allows one to store and manage all passwords to both local applications and online services in one safe space. This simplifies life for people as they now only have to remember one master password to their password manager which in turn will save all the other passwords.
Risks of a Password Manager
With this convenience of an application, also comes the vulnerability of data breach and leakage. The harm that can potentially be caused due to data breach of such an application can put a lot of people at risk at varying levels. One such password manager that was in news for a large data breach issue in mid-2022 was LastPass.
What started as “unusual activity in the development environment” translated into an unknown threat actor that had accessed the LastPass cloud-based storage environment and encrypted password vaults. Although LastPass had stated that the breach had occurred only in the development environment that did not contain any personal information, this unauthorized party accessed the source code and customer vault data that included encrypted passwords, usernames etc. This instilled fear and mistrust of the password manager among the users.
As a user, the next step is to look for a more reliable password manager and migrate all your data to a safer platform. The question here is “Can you export passwords from LastPass to a different password manager?”
NordPass as the Safest Option to Migrate to
After the security breaches faced by LastPass, a lot of users stumbled upon NordPass while doing their research on what application to use for password management. This seemed to be the most lucrative option as it has not been breached so far and has positive reviews. Let us look into a few of them.
In early 2021, LastPass had limited features on its free subscription tier as it only allowed users to view and manage passwords on one category of devices i.e. either mobile or computer. NordPass password manager on the other hand, doesn’t restrict you from using its app on multiple devices.
However, you still need to log off from a given device before switching on to the next one. NordPass is also friendlier with your pocket and offers more features than many other password managers. For instance, it offers the feature to generate secure passwords. Thus, Nordpass is a clear winner in the NordPass vs LastPass debate, in terms of economic feasibility and ease of access across devices.
Another key question was if the Nordpass password manager is safe. NordPass uses the XChaCha20 encryption, which is touted to be “future-proof” and safer than the industry-standard 256-bit AES encryption. The NordPass technology also features a zero-knowledge policy, multi-factor authentication, and biometric logins which adds multiple additional protection layers for all your passwords.
NordPass has a simple interface, making it user-friendly. It also uses a more recent encryption algorithm than many other password managers.
However, it is important to note that LastPass is designed for business and offers advanced features like advanced multi-factor options and 1GB of encrypted file storage space, which makes it the best options for organizations and businesses for password management.
For individual users who do not require these features and have made the decision to migrate from LastPass, NordPass password manager makes a great alternative.
How to Export Passwords from LastPass onto NordPass
Now that we have covered the benefits of NordPass, let’s see how to export passwords from LastPass. Migrating from Lastpass, fortunately, is not a difficult process. One can easily pull his/her data from LastPass and upload it to another password manager. LastPass allows users to export their data as a CSV or an XML file, which is compatible with most other password managers.
A standard CSv (comma-separated file) is a good plain text option to migrate data between platforms. However, it is advised to delete that file after you are done with the migration, as it can be easily misused if not handled properly.
The first step is to download the LastPass extension from your browser as the best and the most convenient way to export your data from LastPass is from its browser extension on a desktop or laptop computer. Once you do that, the process is as follows:
Step 1: Click on the LastPass extension icon on the URL bar (or next to the omnibox) and click on “Account Options” > “Advanced” > “Export” > “LastPass CSV File” as shown below:
Step 2: A prompt will appear that will ask you to enter your master password to proceed. You can enter the same and click on “Continue”. Alternatively, if you think you are not in a safe place (public place, or on a public network), you may choose to do this later and check on “Do not re-prompt for” until you are ready. Once you have entered your master password, LastPass will immediately download your CSV file.
Step 3: The next step is to delete your LastPass account. For this, go to the LastPass “delete your account” page. Click on the red “Delete” button that appears.
Step 4: After you click on “Delete”, there are 2 options depending on whether you remember your master password or not. If you remember your master password, click on ‘Yes’ in the prompt box that appears. This will give you one last chance to download your data. You will then be asked about the reason for deleting your account. Confirm and click on “Delete”
However, if you do not remember the master password, click on “No”. This will also give you another chance to download your data. You will be asked for your email address, which when entered will send you a link to do the same and then delete your account. This completes the process of exporting data from LastPass. The next step is to import the data into the NordPass password manager.
Step 5: To start, open the NordPass application. Once you create an account, or log into the application, click on “Settings” and select “Import Items”.
Step 6: This will open a window for you to choose the application you want to import your data from. You can either choose the password manager you want to import the CSV file from or choose the option ‘Other’. Since you already have an exported CSV file, you can simply click on “Other”
Step 7: Upload the exported CSV file and select on the data that you want to import. If you are using the “Other” option to import data, you may want to organize your file to match the compatibility requirements of the application.
Once you click “Import” this should import all your data and thus, complete your migration process from LastPass to NordPass. It is important to note that NordPass has special instructions to import data directly from LastPass too, if you want to directly do that through the 2 applications.
How to Export Passwords from LastPass to NordPass: Conclusion
This concludes a simple tutorial on how to export passwords from LastPass to NordPass. There are several other applications that can manage your passwords for you. You can do your research and decide on the best option for you. One should always use these applications with a little bit of caution, as any piece of software is vulnerable to attacks and malware which may jeopardize your data, as a user.
