Proton Pass will be available to the general public shortly. The password manager includes multiple layers of encryption to secure your login credentials.

Proton extends the encrypted mail client with a password manager called Proton Pass. The new service is currently only available in beta for users with a lifetime or Visionary subscription. The password manager will be more widely available later this year, although Proton doesn’t really specify when. From then on, Proton will also open source the code and set up bug bounty programs to look for vulnerabilities in the code.

Proton insists its password manager includes a “more complete encryption model” than competing software. Login credentials are stored in a vault locked with a 32-bit encryption key. In addition to passwords and usernames, you can also save websites and create random email addresses to send anonymous emails, a service Proton can offer thanks to its acquisition of SimpleLogin. Proton claims no access to user vaults, although that’s a promise made by all password managers.

Sneak into LastPass

Since the much-discussed cyberattack on LastPass, the concept of a password manager has come under some pressure. Basically, your vault shouldn’t be accessible without the master password, but in the LastPass incident, the hackers managed to get hold of user data. Experts found that the password manager completely missed its security promises in practice.

Proton has not forgotten the incident either. In the announcement, CEO Andy Yen lashes out at the competitor. “Securing passwords requires a high level of skills that few companies have. We’ve always been concerned about the risk of a major password manager breach. Unfortunately, this fear has recently become a reality.