Why use a password manager?
The issue of IT security is now being tackled head-on by the vast majority of SMEs. IT departments are implementing increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity strategies to prevent security breaches, including :
That said, it should be kept in mind that the main security vulnerability in SMEs remains in the hands of employees.
So, no matter how hard IT security managers try to secure their systems and tools, it is difficult to control the behaviour of all their employees...
Fortunately, not everything is totally out of control! IT managers can (and should as far as possible!) control certain practices. This applies in particular to employee passwords!
What is a password manager?
A password manager (or password vault) is a digital tool that centralises all logins and passwords of a user in a single database. The user accesses the database via a master password (which is the only one that needs to be remembered). The solution makes it possible to manage and memorise passwords, and above all strengthen security by easily generating strong and unique passwords for each account.
Main features
Storage of passwords in vaults (shared or not).
Automatic generation of strong passwords.
Automatic filling of logins and passwords on web forms.
Secure sharing of certain passwords with access rights management.
Company-wide supervision of password security.
Password manager:
high security challenges for SMEs
In the early 2000s, employees only had to remember a few passwords to access company systems and software. Today, with the proliferation of digital tools, there are dozens of passwords to remember. If not more.
And there is plenty to attract hackers: although aware of the risks involved, most employees of SMEs prefer simplicity and convenience when it comes to their passwords.
64% of them prefer to keep a password that is easy to remember rather than a more secure code. Studies around employee passwords reveal other alarming figures:
For their part, hackers have refined their techniques to steal confidential company data, and in particular passwords. Among the most effective hacking methods is phishing, which consists of creating a fake website resembling a legitimate service and tricking the user into connecting to it. His password, in clear text, can then be stolen without any difficulty. Hackers also use the brute force attack, which consists of automatically testing thousands of passwords per second. Short passwords without special characters are cracked in no time. We can also cite the man-in-the-middle attack, widely used to glean passwords entered on the web. The principle is simple: hackers compromise, for example, a public WiFi access point and observe the traffic passing through it. Finally, data leaks – which have never cost businesses so much according to a recent report from IBM Security – are particularly feared in SMEs.
As cyberattacks have intensified, SMBs have realized the importance of securing passwords across the enterprise. That said, they do not always know how to proceed or where to start. Using a password manager shared by everyone appears to be the most reliable and secure solution.
Why use a password manager?
Nobody wants to manage passwords. It is not a goal in itself. The goal is to have strong and unique passwords on each website, and that is impossible without a tool. A password manager is just for that: having strong and unique passwords. The Password Vault is not there to make your life easier. There is nothing simpler than always using the same password. Of course, the tool does everything to make use as simple as possible, including in cases of shared secrets.
Remember that hackers go after the least protected targets first. It is because they see an open door that they enter it. It iss much more cost-effective than trying to break down an armored door. Using a password manager is therefore one of the most effective ways to avoid becoming the first target of hackers. It is a fundamental tool for a good corporate cybersecurity policy.
The tool alone of course does not do everything. As simple as it is, the adoption of a password safe by all employees remains a major challenge. People who are less comfortable with digital technology will always be a little apprehensive about adopting a new tool. They may feel like they are losing control of their passwords and are afraid of not knowing how to log in to their sites and applications. This is why initial support in getting started with the tool remains very important for these people. In any case, an initial effort must be made by everyone to import all their passwords into their vault. Subsequently, the ability for the IT manager to supervise the use of the tool and monitor the strength of the passwords becomes a key success factor.
Unique passwords: Reusing the same password everywhere is like saying “if you can hack my mailbox, then you can open my front door, my car, my jewelry box, my bank account.“
Strong passwords: the strength of a password is the time it takes a hacker to find it. “P@$$w0rd!” is not a strong password at all, although it meets all the usual criteria. In practice, the strongest passwords are randomly generated passwords, like HCTGkN-bJzEE4-A8mqdK-rPWXnw.
Password managers:
what benefits to expect?
For users
what benefits can you expect? The password manager is today the only reliable tool for generating and memorizing strong, random passwords that are never otherwise used. It provides SME employees with real comfort thanks to automatic entry of passwords. So no more passwords designed by teams and saved in files hosted in the Cloud or written on post-it notes. Only one password must be remembered – the master password – which allows access to the solution. The good news is that it can afford to be less secure because the application integrates security mechanisms (that is its job) which make everything secure even in the case of passwords that is a little weak.
Sharing is also secure via the safe, which allows you to definitively turn the page on confidential data disclosed in plain text between colleagues on the company chat or by e-mail.
Finally, in a password manager, stored data is encrypted and protected by various mechanisms.
For IT security managers
The implementation of a dedicated tool allows IT security managers of SMEs to clarify and share the password security policy internally. They will thus be able to ensure that good practices are understood and applied by everyone. The solution will enable them to effectively track password strengthening across the enterprise.
IT managers can also hope to save time by limiting requests from employees regarding the management of their passwords (forgotten passwords, non-renewed passwords, etc.). In this way, they will be able to devote more time to raising awareness among employees who are least involved in the joint process initiated.
Finally… all this is only possible by choosing a password manager allowing control and supervision. The monitoring functionality allows administrators to ensure user buy-in and effective security reinforcement.