Workers have to deal with more online accounts than ever before. Each account houses at least some of your business’s sensitive information, and keeping that data safe all hinges on your employees’ passwords. Weak or reused passwords are a huge security risk for your organization since they can lead to data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage.
The stakes are high. According to a 2024 IBM report(nieuw venster), the global average cost of a data breach has reached an all-time high of $4.88 million, reflecting a 10% increase over the previous year. Human error and password-related vulnerabilities are the most frequent causes of these breaches.
Choosing the right enterprise password manager can not only improve your business’s security but also your employees’ productivity. We’ve created a business plan for Proton Pass, our end-to-end encrypted password manager that empowers employees to create and manage their secure passwords and allows business admins to enforce password policies and reduce vulnerabilities.
However, there are dozens of business password managers on the marketplace, each with its own strengths. We share the most important criteria you should consider before you choose which password manager is right for your organization.
- What is an enterprise password manager?
- Key features of an enterprise password management solution
- Protect your company’s digital operations with Proton Pass
What is an enterprise password manager?
An enterprise password manager allows businesses to securely store, manage, and share passwords and sensitive information across their teams. Unlike personal password managers, they offer features tailored for organizations, like centralized management, stronger security, and compliance with regulations. An enterprise password manager tool is essential for any business that wants to lower the risk of security breaches.
Key features of an enterprise password management solution
To fully protect an organization’s sensitive data, a password manager must go beyond the basic features found in consumer editions. Here’s what you should look for:
1. Strong encryption
Robust encryption methods like AES-256 make it nearly impossible for attackers to break into stored password databases using brute-force attacks with current technology. While encryption (no matter how advanced) can’t protect against human errors, like falling for phishing scams, AES-256 ensures that even if attackers get their hands on the encrypted data, they won’t be able to decipher the passwords without the encryption key.
End-to-end encryption ensures that all sensitive data, including passwords, is encrypted on the intended user’s device and can only be decrypted by them. The password manager provider never has access to the encryption keys, so the enterprise password vault is protected from external threats, internal breaches, and even legal requests since the provider has zero knowledge of the encrypted data contents.
Proton Pass uses 256-bit AES-GCM and end-to-end encryption to ensure no one can access your passwords and other sensitive data — not even us.
2. Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Strong passwords alone aren’t enough to secure confidential data. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another layer of security to an enterprise password manager by requiring a second form of verification in addition to the master password, such as a smartphone app, biometric verification, or a hardware token. Even if a user’s password is compromised, 2FA ensures the password vault can’t be accessed without the second factor, making it effective against phishing attacks or credential theft.
For example, in the 2024 Snowflake case(nieuw venster), the company’s failure to use 2FA allowed attackers to exploit stolen credentials, leading to a significant data breach.
Proton Pass supports 2FA to secure the password manager itself(nieuw venster) and an extra password to strengthen account security. It also includes a built-in 2FA authenticator to simplify adding and managing 2FA on websites, apps, and services.
3. Built-in password generator
Over 60% of individuals(nieuw venster) reuse passwords across multiple accounts, and 65% prefer creating their own passwords despite the associated risks.
A password generator like the one integrated with Proton Pass allows employees to create complex, unique passwords on the spot for each account, reducing the risk of breaches caused by weak or reused passwords. It can create random or memorable passwords, allowing you to set the length and include special characters, numbers, or symbols.
4. Passkey support
Passkeys are more secure and convenient than traditional passwords, allowing employees to log in using fingerprint and face recognition or a device PIN. It eliminates the need for passwords and reduces the risk of phishing attacks since there’s no password to steal.
Around 20% of the top 100 websites(nieuw venster) had integrated passkeys by 2024, highlighting the popularity of this technology. Proton Pass supports passkeys on all plans, including the enterprise edition.
5. Email aliases
The 2023 FBI Internet Crime Report(nieuw venster) highlights that phishing schemes were the most frequently reported cybercrime in the US, accounting for approximately 34% of all complaints. To mitigate such risks, Proton Pass enables organizations to create unique email aliases for employees. These aliases protect official email addresses by minimizing their exposure to spam and phishing attacks. If an alias is compromised or starts receiving spam, your employee can delete it without affecting their primary email address.
6. Secure data sharing
Besides passwords, Proton Pass can securely store sensitive information like notes, credit card details, and identity information. Teams can safely share passwords and any other data, ensuring only authorized users can access them. Plus, it’s possible to set permissions and limit who can use or modify shared credentials, such as view-only or edit rights, as well as set expiration dates and revoke access instantly.
7. Activity logs and access policies
A 2023 report(nieuw venster) shows that 74% of organizations feel moderately to extremely vulnerable to insider threats, reporting an increase in such attacks over the past year. Managing access to passwords is a critical step in mitigating these risks.
Proton Pass provides activity logs and access policies that allow administrators to monitor logins and IP addresses, detect suspicious behavior, and manage access based on factors like user roles or location. Additionally, it enforces two-factor authentication, restricts password sharing within the organization, and prevents team members from exporting data.
8. Preventing account takeover
Account takeover fraud caused nearly $13 billion in losses(nieuw venster) globally in 2023, with approximately 22% of US adults falling victim — an estimated 24 million households nationwide.
Proactive defense and support reduce the risk of account takeover, especially for high-profile users and organizations. A high-security program like Proton Sentinel offers advanced protection by combining automated monitoring with human expertise to detect suspicious login attempts, flag unusual activities, and enforce extra security checks when necessary to keep accounts safe, even if the password is compromised.
9. Password health and breach monitoring
An enterprise password manager should give you a clear picture of your organization’s password security by flagging weak or used passwords, allowing you to quickly notify team members. Plus, it should monitor company email addresses for data breaches, enabling administrators to respond immediately if a threat is detected.
Pass Monitor is a feature of Proton Pass that checks for password health and inactive 2FA. It also provides real-time alerts about any leaked personal information via Dark Web Monitoring.
Protect your company’s digital operations with Proton Pass
Trusted by over 50,000 businesses, Proton Pass is a complete password manager for enterprises. It complies with ISO 27001 standards and operates under Switzerland’s strong privacy laws.
All our apps are open source and independently audited. Additionally, we offer 24/7 customer support and native apps for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, along with browser extensions and a web app.
Get Proton Pass for your business and take the first step toward securing your business today.
Opting for Proton means gaining an encrypted ecosystem that protects your company’s data on the web. Using our services, you can secure sensitive business information across all aspects of your digital operations, including your email, calendar, cloud storage, and internet connections(nieuw venster).
