Password manager

People and organizations accumulate hundreds of credentials, and reusing or weakly protecting them is a leading cause of account compromise. A password manager solves this by keeping every credential in a strongly encrypted vault, generating unique passwords, and filling them where needed — so users never have to reuse or remember passwords again.

A password manager centers on an encrypted vault that only the user can unlock:

• Encrypted vault — credentials and secrets are stored encrypted, unreadable without the key.
• One master credential — the user unlocks the vault with a single strong master password, often reinforced with multi-factor authentication.
• Password generation — the manager creates long, unique, random passwords for each account.
• Autofill and injection — credentials are filled into apps and sites, or injected into sessions, without retyping.
• Secure sharing — credentials can be shared with teammates without exposing the underlying password.

Many business password managers use zero-knowledge encryption, meaning the provider itself never has access to the unencrypted data or the key.

Personal password managers protect one individual's credentials. Business and enterprise managers add the controls organizations need: role-based access, team sharing, administrative oversight, provisioning and deprovisioning, and audit logging. A business password manager treats credentials as a shared organizational asset to be governed, not just a personal convenience.

When evaluating a password manager for an organization, key criteria include:

• Zero-knowledge encryption — so the vendor can never read your data.
• Multi-factor authentication — native support for a second factor on vault access.
• Role-based sharing — grant access by team and role rather than by passing passwords.
• Administrative controls — provisioning, deprovisioning, and policy enforcement.
• Audit logging — a record of who accessed which credentials.
• Deployment choice — a self-hosted or cloud option to match your requirements.

A password manager governs everyday workforce credentials — the accounts staff use to do their jobs. Privileged access management (PAM) governs the small set of elevated, high-risk accounts such as administrators and service accounts, adding session control, just-in-time access, and rotation. The two are complementary: a password manager protects the many, PAM protects the powerful few.

Weak and reused passwords remain one of the most common ways attackers gain a foothold. A password manager makes strong, unique passwords effortless, keeps them encrypted, and removes the risky habits — sticky notes, spreadsheets, shared logins — that expose organizations. For businesses, it also brings credentials under governance, so access can be granted, shared, revoked, and audited cleanly.