Why everyone at work needs a password manager

What it does

A password manager is an app that stores your passwords in an encrypted vault. You remember one strong password (and use multi-factor authentication) to open it. It does the rest:

• Creates a long, random password for every account.
• Fills it in on the right website, and only the right website, which also helps you notice a fake site.
• Syncs across your computer and phone.
• Shares passwords with specific colleagues without anyone seeing them in a message.

Why it matters

When people reuse passwords, one breach at any website exposes every account that shares the password. Attackers know this and try leaked passwords everywhere automatically. A password manager makes unique passwords effortless, which removes the problem.

For a business

A business password manager adds things a personal one does not:

• Shared folders for team accounts, with access you can grant and remove.
• Recovery if someone forgets their master password.
• Instant removal when someone leaves, so they take no passwords with them.
• Reports on weak or reused passwords.

Getting started

Start with email, banking and anything that holds client data. Add other accounts as you use them. Within a few weeks, most of your passwords will be in it without much effort.