Choosing the Best Enterprise Password Manager

Passwords remain a critical line of defense for protecting sensitive data and applications. As cyber threats and data breaches increase and regulatory standards become more stringent, efficient and secure password management is now  a critical aspect of enterprise security strategy. Strong password policies dictate that users create complex, unique passwords for each service or website. However, complying with this requirement across multiple user accounts requires more than a good memory. A good enterprise password manager simplifies this task and is an essential tool for good password hygiene. 

To find the right password management tool, organizations must assess their business needs, identify key features that fit those needs, and understand where traditional password managers fall short. This will help make informed decisions that enhance security, improve user experience, and meet compliance requirements.

Assessing the business needs of adopting an enterprise password manager

The first step in your journey towards finding the right password manager is to get clarity on your organization’s unique requirements. There are several different factors to consider when drawing up these requirements. The inputs you should consider include: 

Security requirements

Encryption protects data confidentiality by transforming plain text into ciphertext, an unreadable version of the original data. Encryption lies at the heart of effective security, and the encryption standards of the password manager should be evaluated. The main things to consider are what encryption algorithm the tool uses and where the encryption is applied. The AES-256 encryption algorithm is currently the gold standard and is used by the US government. You should also ensure that the tool provides end-to-end and zero-knowledge encryption to ensure its full benefits. The latter refers to architecture where the password manager cannot access or decrypt your passwords, so that in the unlikely event a breach occurs, your passwords remain secure. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) helps ensure that only authorized people can gain access to their passwords, and you should make sure that the password manager supports it to add an extra layer of security. 

User management

To guarantee that a password manager is used as widely as possible in your organization, you’ll need to determine the number of employees who need access to one. Remember to take future growth and scalability of the solution into consideration so that you can accommodate additional users when they join your company. 

Role-based access control (RBAC) should be incorporated into the deployment plan for your password management tool to help reduce the attack surface of your software and systems. To do so, you’ll first need to identify the need for different access levels based on roles and responsibilities. When selecting the tool, you’ll need to ensure that the password manager allows for customizable permissions and access controls that provide the level of granularity that your policies require.

Integration capabilities

Ensure the password manager can integrate with your existing systems and solutions. This step can eliminate major integration headaches that may bog down the rollout of the password manager and result in unexpected deployment costs. Check for compatibility with the SSO solution you use to streamline authentication processes. Similarly, check the password manager's compatibility with your current IT infrastructure, including operating systems, browsers, and applications, and assess its integration capabilities with other security tools, such as identity and access management (IAM) systems.

Compliance and regulatory needs

A critical step when evaluating password managers is to make sure that they help you comply with data privacy requirements from compliance standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS. It’s important to note that password managers by themselves cannot be “in compliance”; compliance standards are technology agnostic. However, the tools do have to meet certain requirements to enable the organizations to be in compliance, and to make compliance easier. You should identify the regulatory requirements your organization must comply with, and ensure that the password manager meets these standards. There may be requirements around encryption, access controls and the use of MFA, and log trails for audit that you need to be aware of. These should be hard requirements for the password management tools you evaluate.

Usability and user experience

Tools are much more likely to be used when they’re easy to use, so it’s essential to evaluate the user interface and overall ease of use for both administrators and end users. Features such as auto-fill, user-friendly dashboards, and intuitive navigation make life easier for both parties, and should be included in your list of requirements when evaluating tools. Other essential factors to consider to help ensure the successful deployment and usage of the tool are the training and ongoing support from the tool vendor.  Assess the availability and quality of training resources for onboarding new users and check the level of customer support provided by the vendor, including response times and support channels (e.g., phone, email, live chat).

Password managers by themselves cannot be “in compliance”; compliance standards are technology agnostic. However, the tools do have to meet certain requirements to enable the organizations to be in compliance, and to make compliance easier.

What to look for when evaluating password managers

Once you’ve assessed the business needs for adopting an enterprise password manager, it’s time to turn your attention to the features and functionality of the tools. The ideal tool will support your users’, administrators', and your organization’s needs. The following list breaks down the key features to evaluate tools on to help you more accurately compare the candidates you evaluate.

Security features

There are a number of security features that should be considered ‘must-haves’ in a password manager, and any tool you consider should contain all of them.

Encryption methods. Look for strong encryption standards such as AES-256 and get clarification on where the data is encrypted. End-to-end encryption should be the requirement that you set, to ensure that the data is protected in transit and at rest.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA should be the standard for authentication today, as it offers significantly more powerful security and protection against unauthorized access.  There are a variety of MFA options available, such as SMS codes, authentication apps, and biometric authentication.

Zero-knowledge architecture. Zero-knowledge architecture is a security approach in which systems are designed to minimize or eliminate the need for users or services to share sensitive data, even with trusted parties. It helps to provide assurances that the provider has no access to stored passwords or encryption keys, minimizing the attack surface.

Breach monitoring. Breach monitoring is a practice that involves actively searching for and identifying instances where sensitive data such as passwords have been compromised or exposed. An ideal password management solution will provide alerts when compromised credentials are found in data breaches so that you can advise affected users to change their passwords. This is in accordance with NIST’s guidance on changing passwords in response to a known data breach. 

Password management

Password managers' primary purposes are secure password generation and storage and enabling a better user experience by automating password-related tasks.

Password generation. When it comes to password generation, make sure the tool can generate strong, unique passwords. NIST’s guidance for passwords is that the longer the password is, the stronger it is. The password manager should provide customization options for password length and complexity to support stronger passwords that comply with your organization’s policies.

Auto-fill and auto-login. These features encourage users to utilize the password manager by improving their experience. They automatically fill in login credentials on websites and applications to simplify the login process and remove the cumbersome tasks of finding the right username and password combination, typing them in manually, or copying and pasting them into the site or application.

Administrative controls

On the administrative end, there are a number of key features that any password manager you evaluate should have. 

User provisioning and de-provisioning. A user provisioning and de-provisioning feature that makes adding and removing users easy is a must-have, especially in larger and more dynamic organizations where these actions are performed frequently. Integration with IAM services is another key feature that should be supported. This integration would simplify activities such as provisioning new users to the password manager through organization policy, enabling enterprise identity login to serve as the password to access the user’s password manager, and setting MFA requirements for different subsets of users.

Audit logs and reporting. The password manager should collect detailed logs of user activities and access attempts and make it easy to create customizable reports so that the administrators can monitor usage, check for compliance, and have an audit trail that helps with investigations into security incidents.

Policy enforcement. A critical feature of a password management tool is its ability to customize and enforce password policies. These policies encompass areas such as password strength and mandatory MFA. Having the ability to make choices for these factors at the administrative level and deploying them organization-wide is crucial to ensuring password security. 

Integration and compatibility

The value of any tool is maximized when it integrates with and is compatible with other tools already in your environment. Nowhere is this more applicable than in the case of password managers. Be sure to look for the following features to fully realize the benefits of your investment in one.

Single sign-on (SSO). While password managers and SSO appear to be competing technologies — they both make it easier for users to log into different applications — they actually complement each other. Password managers can help manage passwords for the SSO solution and for the websites, applications and systems that don’t support SSO, while SSO takes care of the rest. Integrating a password manager vault with SSO provides comprehensive coverage. Look for support of industry standard protocols such as SAML and OAuth in the password manager to ensure interoperability between them .

Browser extensions. The password manager should be compatible with major web browsers  such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, unless the password manager is a component of an Enterprise Browser (more on that below!). The auto-fill and password management functionality should reside directly within the browser.

Mobile app support. Mobile support for applications is a basic requirement in the modern workplace. The password management tool should have robust mobile applications for both iOS and Android and, ideally, will support biometric authentication using fingerprint or facial recognition.

API integration. To expand its functionality and range of applications that it can support, the password management tool should have APIs for integrating the password manager with other tools and systems in the future. The APIs should be well-documented to make custom integrations easier.

Backup and recovery

Data backup. To ensure the ability to recover from a failure that results in the loss of password data, regular, automated backups of the stored passwords should be a requirement. The backups should be stored securely, with proper encryption.

Recovery options. In the event of a data loss that results in lost master passwords, a secure mechanism that includes a multi-step verification process that enables account recovery should be supported.

Compliance and regulatory requirements

Regulatory compliance. Look for features that support compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and others. These typically include support for requirements related to password length and complexity, expiration dates, encryption, logs, and reporting capabilities.

Data residency. If you are subject to GDPR, make sure that the password manager provides an option for data storage locations in the EU to comply with its data residency requirements.

Cost and licensing

While this is less of a feature comparison and more of an area to study when evaluating password managers, factors related to costs are of primary importance. Look out for these three when performing your evaluation.

Subscription models. Does the pricing plan fit your organizational size and needs? Make sure that you get transparent pricing with details on the features included in each tier so that you can compare competing vendors like-for-like.

Total cost of ownership (TCO). A lower initial cost can be misleading, as there may be costs associated with implementing, maintaining, and supporting the tool—factor in additional costs related to training, support, and potential integration fees in your analysis.

Where password managers fall short

Password managers offer a lot of utility and convenience to simplify and promote better password hygiene, but they have some limitations.

Cloud syncing. Though a helpful feature that can improve accessibility and convenience and make it easier to recover passwords, cloud syncing can add third-party security risk. If the cloud storage where your passwords are stored is breached, and the encryption method is vulnerable, your passwords could be compromised. 

Protected credentials. In general, passwords should be unique to the individual. In practice, there are many instances where a team may need to share credentials. Social media accounts are a common example, and one that presents reputational risk. If a password manager lacks protected sharing capabilities, shared credentials could be exposed or shared wider than intended.

Consumer browsers with password manager extensions. A consumer-grade browser may ask users if they want to save a copy of their password in the browser. If the user agrees, that password is kept in the browser’s far less secure password store. The situation can be exacerbated when using a consumer browser with personal profile syncing, as the passwords they’ve saved are now available across all devices, including those that fall outside the enterprise's view.

Even if the password manager that you deploy offers world-class security, it may still run on browsers that aren’t secure or on operating systems that aren’t up-to-date, either of which can be breached.

How the Enterprise Browser solves the standalone password manager problem

Island, the Enterprise Browser, is designed to improve remote work productivity and security by streamlining workflows, enhancing the user experience, and taking a comprehensive approach to security. Our built-in password manager exemplifies these goals and addresses the shortcomings of password managers. 

• Policy-driven password management that keeps passwords secure, with precision.‍
• Password generation that is based on your company’s policies.‍
• Secure storage and handling of all passwords, based on individual security requirements of what accounts and apps those passwords are associated with. ‍
• Real-time device posture assessment and response. Can detect a change in device posture in real-time, right in the middle of a session. That’s something extensions cannot do.
• Modules that negate the need to perform additional SSO, SCIM, or SIEM integrations.‍ These modules are built into the browser.
• Not bound to the UX and technical limitations of traditional extensions. This opens many doors in the way of both security and user experience.
• Protection against various cyber threats, such as man-in-the-middle and phishing attacks, through the secure-by-design browsing environment.‍
• Seamless, secure, and user-friendly experience by building the browser on Chromium, which is at the heart of the world’s most popular browsers, including Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.‍
• Zero knowledge architecture means only the user and their organization can access passwords stored in their vault.
• Protected sharing makes it easy for users to share the use of credentials, without revealing the password in plain text. 

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Standalone password managers introduce complexity and increase costs, while the security of password managers that integrate with browsers is still limited by the browser's security and the underlying operating system. 

Island helps eliminate these negatives by tightly integrating the password manager into the platform users use to conduct their work — the Enterprise Browser. It vastly simplifies enterprise-wide adoption of password management best practices while creating new protections around their use within corporate applications — a standout in a sea of standalone solutions. 

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