While the aforementioned search warrant is certainly alarming for individuals concerned about online privacy and security, they should be happy to know that neither LogMeIn nor LastPass furnished the requested passwords the only information provided was limited to IP addresses, the date when the suspect became a customer, and the last time he used the LastPass service.
In late January, a search warrant filed by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to cloud computing giant LogMeIn, owner of LastPass, demanded the company to turn over username and password credentials of a suspect who allegedly trafficked controlled substances online.Īccording to a report published by Forbes magazine, DEA agents found out about the existence of a LastPass account after seizing a mobile device from the suspect they were also able to bypass encryption on a hard drive, where they also found evidence of a LastPass password manager app as well as a browser extension.Īs can be expected, the agents were not able to access the LastPass vault because they did not know the master password, which was at the heart of their search warrant. Since then, numerous law enforcement and prosecutorial demands seeking access to digital information have been presented to tech companies, but the first one involving a major password manager was reported in April 2019.
The FBI eventually withdrew the request because agents allegedly retained the services of hackers to break into the device.
The most prominent case in this regard involved an iPhone 5C used by a gunman in the December 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino.įBI agents and prosecutors ordered Apple to unlock the device, but the company argued that it could not be compelled to provide such assistance on the basis that it would create privacy issues for all iPhone users.
Until a few years ago, it was unusual to learn about law enforcement agencies demanding information from technology firms that specialize in providing services such as secure digital storage and password vaults.
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