Keeping your passwords safe
In today’s digital world, passwords remain one of the primary barriers protecting business systems, customer data and financial information. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most common causes of security breaches.
Web browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari make it incredibly easy to save and autofill passwords. While convenient, browser-based password managers were designed primarily for consumer convenience rather than business-grade security.
For organisations that take cyber security seriously, relying solely on browser password managers introduces unnecessary risk. A dedicated password management platform such as Keeper provides significantly stronger protection, better visibility and greater control over passwords, passphrases and passkeys.
The Problem with Browser Password Managers
Browser password managers offer a simple way to save credentials and automatically fill them into websites. While this improves convenience and can reduce password reuse, they lack many of the security controls businesses require.
1. Limited Protection Against Device Compromise
Many browser password managers store passwords within the browser profile and synchronise them through a personal Google, Microsoft or Apple account.
If a cyber criminal gains access to a user’s device, browser profile or synchronised account, they may also gain access to stored credentials. Browser-stored passwords can significantly increase the impact of a compromised device because multiple accounts become exposed through a single breach.
2. Lack of Centralised Business Control
Browser password managers are generally managed at the individual user level.
For businesses, this creates several challenges:
No central administration
Limited reporting
No standardised password policies
Limited visibility of password health
Difficult offboarding when employees leave
IT teams often have no way to verify whether staff are using strong passwords or whether critical credentials are still being retained after a user leaves the organisation.
3. Poor Secure Sharing Capabilities
Business users frequently need to share credentials for:
Shared mailboxes
Line-of-business applications
Cloud platforms
Infrastructure devices
Service accounts
Browser password managers offer little or no secure, auditable sharing. As a result, passwords often end up being shared through email, Teams messages, spreadsheets or documentation.
This creates significant security and compliance risks. Dedicated password managers provide encrypted sharing with full audit trails and permission controls.
4. Limited Visibility of Compromised Credentials
Many organisations are unaware when employee passwords appear in data breaches.
Dedicated enterprise password managers can monitor for exposed credentials and alert administrators when action is required. Browser password managers typically lack the enterprise-level monitoring, reporting and remediation capabilities needed to manage this risk effectively.
5. Browser Convenience Can Become a Security Risk
Autofill functionality may appear helpful, but it can also increase risk if credentials are entered into fraudulent or lookalike websites.
Dedicated password managers generally provide stronger controls around domain matching and credential filling, helping to reduce the likelihood of passwords being disclosed to phishing sites.
What Businesses Should Be Doing Instead
Use Unique Passwords for Every Account
One of the most common mistakes users make is reusing passwords across multiple systems.
If a single account is breached, attackers often attempt to use the same credentials elsewhere. This technique, known as credential stuffing, remains highly effective because password reuse is so common. Strong, randomly generated passwords should be used for every account.
Adopt Strong Passphrases
Long passphrases are generally more secure and easier to remember than short complex passwords.
For example:
❌ Summer2025!
✅ Purple-Bridge-Harbour-Moonlight-Train
Long passphrases significantly increase the effort required for brute-force attacks while remaining easier for users to manage.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Passwords alone are no longer sufficient.
Businesses should ensure MFA is enabled on every system that supports it. This aligns with Cyber Essentials requirements and provides an additional layer of protection should credentials become compromised.
Transition to Passkeys
Passkeys are increasingly becoming the preferred authentication method because they eliminate many of the weaknesses associated with traditional passwords.
Unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to phishing attacks and cannot be reused across services. They are quickly becoming a key component of modern cyber security strategies.
Why Keeper Is the Better Choice
Keeper is a dedicated password and access management platform designed specifically to address the shortcomings of browser-based password storage.
Keeper enables organisations to:
Store passwords, passphrases and passkeys securely
Generate strong, random credentials automatically
Securely share credentials between authorised users
Apply company-wide password policies
Monitor password health
Detect breached or exposed credentials
Protect access using MFA and biometric authentication
Manage users centrally through an administrative console
Access credentials securely across desktop, browser and mobile devices
Keeper is built on a zero-knowledge and zero-trust security architecture, meaning even Keeper cannot view a customer’s stored credentials. The platform also supports secure storage for passkeys, enabling organisations to move towards passwordless authentication while maintaining centralised control.
The Bottom Line
Browser password managers are convenient, but convenience should never be mistaken for security.
For personal use, browser-based password storage may be adequate for some users. However, businesses require stronger controls, better visibility, secure credential sharing and protection against modern cyber threats.
A dedicated password management platform such as Keeper provides the security, governance and compliance capabilities that organisations need to protect their users, systems and data.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, the question is no longer whether your organisation should use a password manager, but whether you’re using one that was built for enterprise security rather than browser convenience.
If your business is still relying on browser-saved passwords, contact PC Comms to move to a secure password management solution and start managing passwords, passphrases and passkeys the right way.
