Even with more sophisticated and modern forms of authentication, passwords are still the most popular form of user authentication. The environment where using multiple passwords (multi-password environment) causes many problems in terms of information security. Password managers can be one way to improve password management by storing and generating strong passwords.
- How can password managers help resolve security issues that arise in a multi-password environment?
- What factors prevent password managers from using multiple passwords environment?
Application password managers improve password management in relation to the weak passwords, password reuse, password notes, and so on in the organization.
Information security is a serious thing, and it can be defined as protecting information given three main requirements: confidentiality, integrity and availability. Confidentiality means that unauthorized parties are not allowed to intercept the information. Integrity means that information is not damaged or altered during the course storage or transfer by unauthorized parties. Availability that means the information is available to authorized parties. Some have also suggested additional requirements such as responsibility, ethics, authenticity and more should be added to this model. Information security is often considered purely technical problem using these models, but it must also be seen as a behavioral problem that involves users. Even with more sophisticated and modern forms of authentication like biometrics and smart cards, text authentication (passwords) is still the most popular form of user authentication. Users are very strong in password authentication included in the security level to avoid breach.
An environment where multiple passwords are used (multiple passwords) environment raises many questions regarding information security. Usage One password on multiple systems makes memory easier between different systems, which will increase user access. On the other hand, from a security standpoint it will be negative because disclosure one system will also affect the other system. Password recovery is also very expensive both in terms of lack of productivity for the user and from an aspect maintenance costs for password issues. Even with strong security, bad security behavior such as the use of weak passwords, password reuse and writing them down is still a big part of the daily process. Even the world’s biggest companies pay a great deal of attention to security. According to one survey, users are mostly unaware of what constitutes a good and bad password. It is also important to keep strict password guidelines in mind. It can also cause a fire, causing even more safety issues than before implementation.
Multiple passwords in an organizational context should be avoided to avoid them security issues. If they cannot be avoided, four to five is the absolute maximum if passwords are used regularly. If passwords are then rarely used users can remember fewer passwords. Some organizations and people have many more than four or five passwords. IT companies are a good example of organizations where employees have access to many different systems, especially the tech-oriented ones departments. Bad or nonexistent passwords are one of the top ten vulnerabilities of computer systems in businesses and homes. However, there are methods that show how password security can be improved with awareness tricks and passwords for remembering passwords.
Password managers are one way to mitigate threats of password reuse and loss memory passwords. Password managers can generate secure passwords and the user has the ability to add the generated password. Also they come with a lot of different features. Some of them are protection from dark web, encrypted chat services for your business or personal use, and even secure cloud vault. One of those kinds of password managers is Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault, which also comes in mobile, web, desktop app and browser extension. For more information about this tool, you can visit this link and check user and expert reviews . These passwords are often encrypted and protected by a master password that is the only password the user has to remember. There are methods that show you what special password management software is most desirable and other methods demonstrating technical safety browser-based password manager vulnerabilities. In terms of behavior and usability aspect users hesitated to use password management software because they did not feel the need for it and felt that they were managing a password it did not provide greater security than before implementation. However, that was ten years ago. Is that still the case for ten years later and when the password manager is implemented in organizations where multiple password already identified as a major security issue?
Multiple password environments creates security issues regarding:
- Weak passwords – using weak passwords, for example using known words and terms.
- Password reuse – using the same or similar password on more than one system
- Password recovery – loss of productivity and cost of maintaining a service desk for password related issues
- Password notes – writing down passwords to remember them, both electronic and on paper
- Password sharing – sharing passwords with friends and/or colleagues
Using multiple passwords in an organizational context should (if possible) be avoided. Having users remember more than four to five passwords causes them to forget the password and therefore increasing the risk of engaging in poor password management behavior.
Password managers can be one way of mitigating vulnerabilities when multiple passwords are required. These software programs can store multiple passwords with one master password that encrypts the whole password file. These programs also have the ability to generate secure passwords which reduces the risk of password reuse. Although password managers were able to solve many security problems as for multiple passwords, they seem to be rarely used. The main area of research in terms of password managers are technical design and technical security. Another popular area of research regarding password managers is the usability aspect of the software. When testing the usability of different password managers users were found to prefer an older portable solution that required software to run on a computer rather than a modern network password manager.
Factors like the use of weak passwords, even for access to your personal computer, when you are turning it on, or reuse passwords, the use of password remarks are greatly improved when introducing a password manager into the organization. However, the results and their implications can be used when you are planning on implementing a password manager or trying to figure out whether implementation can be useful for the organization or not. Too provides a basis for further research into the field of password enhancement managing with a password manager. A password manager is only one way of the many that can help improve password management in organizations.
