5 Secure Password Sharing Tips for Individuals and Enterprises

One of the earliest lessons we learn in tech class is to never share your passwords. Whether it is private and personal documents, or profe...

One of the earliest lessons we learn in tech class is to never share your passwords. Whether it is private and personal documents, or professional, confidential files, the rule remains the same. A password is the digital key to your online information, so it is obvious that it is of immense value. However, in the business world, there are circumstances when passwords need to be exchanged. So, how can you do this without risking your valuable data? Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem. The following mini-guide will help you answer your questions regarding password-sharing.

5 Secure Password Sharing Tips for Individuals and Enterprises

1. Is It Okay to Share Passwords?

Sharing your passwords at work has a huge risk attached to it along with the benefits. It is easy to access other parts of the network by sharing the password but if it gets into the wrong hands, it can cause trouble as the hacker can manipulate the organization secrets as well as leak it. This action violates the rights of customer privacy.

Without deliberately harming the security of an organization, sharing a password with someone who is using insecure hardware can cause irreversible damage to the company. If your security policy of password includes multi-factor authentication, the hacker may not be able to cause any harm.

2. How Can I Share My Passwords Safely?

Even though sharing a password is not recommended, sometimes it is inevitable and an absolute necessity when passwords need to exchanged. Under such circumstances, there are indeed ways in which you can share your passwords safely. Opting for password managers is one of the most popular ways of doing this.

Educating your employees about the evident risks of sharing passwords can also make a difference.

3. What Are Passwords Managers?

Password managers are a form of software that can offer high security and ease in terms of using passwords to access online information. These platforms offer high efficiency by helping you generate unique and complex passwords that can be easily altered for online accounts everywhere. They further secure your password by encrypted storage. One single password is required to access this world instead of memorizing hundreds of encryption codes for various accounts. This way a password manager gives you convenience as well as privacy to store all your valuable passwords in one place, without having to learn them or write them down.

Password managers come in various types, including locally installed software applications, online services via cloud-based web apps, and locally accessed hardware devices in the form of keys.

4. Are Password Managers Safe?

There are various kinds of password managers and vaults, namely desktop-based, cloud-based, portable, etc. The desktop-based vault is also known as a local vault. It allows you to encrypt and store all your usernames and passwords on your computer.

Such a vault has the advantage of easy and personal access to your desktop. However, local vaults cannot be accessed via other computers or devices.

In contrast, a cloud-based password manager stores your provided information and data in an online vault that is backed up via a high-security communication channel. While you can access these passwords from anywhere, it also means that your data is directly in the possession of the service provider.

Portable vaults allow you to store your username and password on a portable storage device, such as a USB stick or HDD, so that you can carry it around, access it anywhere, and keep it safe in your personal possession. This will ensure your data privacy and security just like a cold storage.

5. How Do Password Managers Work?

Both paid and free programs of password managers can be installed on your device or, if it’s cloud-based, accessed wherever you are. Set a username and password to create your account or vault. Make sure that this master password is exceptionally strong and you can easily remember it because you will have access to the rest of your passwords through this one code. Once this is done, you can store all your passwords in a secure and encrypted environment. Afterward, every time you try to log in to this particular site, the program will autofill your passwords for you automatically.

Many password managers have extra features such as analyzers and reminders which tell you if you have weak, forgettable, or frequently used passwords. A lot of these programs also help you recreate stronger passwords. Because the manager will remember it and type it in for you, you will not have to worry about the password being complicated.