Should you let the browser save your passwords?

The good part

A browser that saves passwords is far better than using the same password everywhere. It can suggest strong random passwords and fill them in only on the right website, which helps against fake sign-in pages.

The weak spots

• Anyone using your unlocked computer can often open the browser’s saved passwords, or sign in to your sites.
• Malware often targets them. Programs that steal browser data are common, and saved passwords are one of the first things they collect.
• Work and personal get mixed. If you sign in to the browser with a personal account, work passwords can end up synced to a home computer the business does not manage.
• Nothing for teams. Sharing a password with a colleague means sending it some other way.
• When someone leaves, the business has no way to recover or remove the passwords saved in their browser.

What a business password manager adds

• A separate vault for work, controlled by the business.
• Safe sharing of team accounts, without sending passwords by email or chat.
• Alerts for weak, reused or leaked passwords.
• Access that can be removed in one step when someone leaves.

If your company provides a password manager, use it for work accounts and turn off browser saving for them.