LastPass Adds Backup Feature to Two-Step Authentication App

Password manager LastPass has announced a backup feature for its two-step authentication app. This should make it easier to restore linked accounts, for example after purchasing a new phone.

LastPass writes that the risk of a lost device should not prevent users from using two-factor authentication. As a result, the service now stores the authentication tokens in users’ LastPass accounts. Because the data is stored on the company’s servers, it should be easy to recover.

In the settings of the app, users can enable the backup function. This is an opt-in and is therefore not enabled by default. Restoring the authentication data is done by logging into the Authenticator app on a new or reset device. Then the data is restored to the device.

The two-factor authentication app was introduced last year by its LogMeIn subsidiary. At the time, LastPass claimed that the app works via totp in the same way as the Google Authenticator. Various services can be linked to this that support two-step authentication. When logging in to such a service, in addition to the password, a verification code is requested, which is generated by the app. To do this, a connection must first have taken place.