Password managers for small teams: why and how to start

Why reused passwords are the problem

Every big data breach puts millions of email and password pairs into circulation. Attackers try those pairs on email providers, banks and business tools automatically. If anyone on your team uses the same password for a shopping site and the business email, the business email is only as safe as the shopping site.

What a password manager does

• Creates a long, random password for every account and fills it in for you.
• Lets a team share logins (the Instagram account, the supplier portal) without sending passwords over text.
• Removes a person’s access to shared logins in one step when they leave.
• Warns you about passwords that appeared in known breaches.

Getting a small team started

1. Pick one business planChoose a well-known manager with a business or team plan, shared vaults and two-step sign-in.
2. Protect the manager itselfA long passphrase only the owner knows, plus two-step sign-in. Store the recovery kit somewhere safe.
3. Start with the shared accountsEmail, domain, website, social, banking. Move them in first and change each password as you go.
4. Then personal work loginsEach person moves their own over the following week.