LastPass has announced that users of its password manager can now log into their private vault without a master password.
Under the new system, customers will instead authenticate their identity via the LastPass Authenticator, using biometrics or fingerprint ID. Support for physical security keys will be added at a later date.
According to LastPass, the new feature makes its service the first of its kind to offer passwordless authentication.
A passwordless future
There are a number of advantages to passwordless login, particularly in the context of password managers, which house a treasure trove of personal information and account credentials.
The main benefit is that authentication systems based on biometrics are immune to phishing, password-stuffing attacks and security risks created by the reuse of passwords (e.g. third-party data breaches).
LastPass also predicts that introducing a more hassle-free way to log in (one that doesn’t involve typing and retyping the same complex password) will encourage more people to adopt password managers in the first place, minimizing the opportunity for account hijacking.
At first, users will still be required to set a master password when opening a new LastPass account, but the ultimate objective is to transition to a completely passwordless system based on FIDO standards in the future.
“On the heels of tech giants and identity providers unveiling their plans to enable passwordless across their operating systems, web browsers, devices and applications, LastPass is excited to be the first solution and only password manager to allow users to securely and effortlessly login, manage their account credentials and get instant access to the accounts used every day – without ever having to enter a password,” said Chris Hoff, Chief Secure Technology Officer at LastPass.
“While broad implementation and adoption of passwordless is the industry’s ultimate goal, it will take years before people experience an end-to-end passwordless login across all applications, but LastPass gets you there sooner.”
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