Password managers can be a solution to the constant problem of needing to make complex, secure passwords for all our digital accounts. The modern workforce requires a lot of passwords and any one of them getting compromised can lead to a data breach or worse, so a password manager is a service that creates and stores passwords for you. This means a user will only need to remember a single password for their manager application to have access to all their automatically generated passwords for their accounts. Here are a few ways a password manager can improve your digital workspace and some security concerns to keep in mind if you decide to use one!
How Do Password Managers Work?
A password manager will automatically generate new passwords for you when you make a new service account. These passwords will be random and structured to be as secure as possible, and they are fully encrypted when stored by the service. Users will just have a single password to their manager account to remember, and this allows them to access and autofill credentials for accounts on their device. Before the application will autofill credentials, it will verify the user is the account owner using the primary password, biometrics, or some other form of verification. When new passwords are created, the user can store them at the touch of a button and have them ready for logging in quickly next time.
Password Manager Benefits
The primary benefit to a password manager is that the generated passwords are secure and unrelated to one another. This means that if a single account becomes compromised, malicious actors won’t gain information on patterns a person uses to make passwords or have a password that is reused on another account. Aside from this, they make logging in to accounts quick and easy, becoming a natural part of workflows once a user is accustomed to the service. A password manager can be used across devices and while at home or at work, so they provide a high level of security and convenience for hybrid work environments as well!
Are Password Managers Secure?
Storing all of your password information in one place may initially seem like a security risk, but password managers are generally safe to use and provide a level of security that is worth the risk. When using a password manager, accounts become harder to brute force into, patterns in password creation can’t be exploited, and reusing passwords becomes easy to avoid. This eliminates many of the common attack vectors malicious actors use to gain an initial foothold in a network. Password managers aren’t perfect, however, and the companies that run them can still be compromised, so businesses should have a recovery plan in place in case their information is stolen from the service they use.
Summary
Do your employees need to use a password manager? If password security is a concern for your company or you require sensitive information to be locked behind strong, complex passwords, then it may meet your needs well. Our team here at Robinett Consulting understands that every business is unique, so we want to encourage small businesses to reach out to us for a network risk assessment or complimentary consultation to see which security tools can best benefit your network!
