Best enterprise-grade password managers 2018

Cyber attacks are on the rise and the ASEAN region is no less immune to this ever-growing threat than the rest of the world. As the digital economy of the bloc continues to flourish, threat actors are seeing the potential in both targeting the region and using it as a launch pad for large-scale cyber attacks.

Back in May, hackers gained access to the Wendy’s Philippines website, compromising 82,150 records belonging to customers and job applicants. The information included names, addresses, passwords, payment method and transaction details.

Not to be outdone, Thailand’s second biggest mobile network, TrueCorp accidentally exposed details relating to 45,000 customers of one of its subsidiaries by storing the information in a public-facing Amazon S3 bucket.

The 32GB data cache included 45,736 files, consisting mainly of JPG and PDF scans of identity documents including scanned ID cards, driving licences and possibly passports.

As the threat landscape continues to evolve, not having a proper security strategy in place in no longer an option. And, while its all well and good ensuring your patches are up to date and your security software is state of the art; if you fail to administer proper security training to your employees, you might as well just hand all your data over to the hackers yourself.

To this day, weak passwords remain one of the biggest problems in enterprise security. Common passwords, admin passwords or passwords that are already associated with other accounts have been linked to some of the biggest data breaches in recent years. In fact, weak passwords have become such a security issue, the state of California has made it illegal to use default passwords like “admin,” “123456” and everyone’s favourite “password” in all new consumer electronics starting in 2020.

Read next: The biggest data breaches in Southeast Asia.

So, what’s the solution to all this password misuse? Answer: A secure enterprise password manager that can organise and encrypt all your credentials.

But, as the market becomes increasingly saturated with different vendors all claiming their solution is the best, how can you be sure which one is right for your business?

Here is an overview of eight of the best enterprise password managers currently on the market.

Keeper

Keeper allows you to access your credentials on up to five devices meaning you can gain access to your accounts from home, work and even remotely.

The solution has both multi-factor authentication and a biometric log-in system, encrypting and decrypting all your data and device-level so it is protected from the vulnerabilities associated with the cloud.

Each piece of data is stored in the user’s vault, protected by individual, randomly generated AES record keys and a further, master Data Key.

Keeper can be used on Android, iOS, Mac and PC devices and costs £2.08 for the business plan and £3.33 for the enterprise plan. Both come with a free month-long trial.

CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault

CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault centrally manages all your privileged account credentials, preventing unauthorised individuals from gaining access without legitimate business purposes.

It uses a highly secure central repository to store and protect both SSH keys and passwords for use in on-premises, hybrid and cloud environments.

In addition, its auditing and control features mean you can track and identify the misuse of any privileged accounts.

CyberArk mean business with this solution, even so the price tag is somewhat hefty. The total cost for the EPV server is US$25,000, with user pricing starting at US$220 per user.

Thycotic Secret Server

Thycotic Secret Server is also available for use on-premises and in the cloud, helping you to create, manage, share and automatically change thousands of enterprise passwords, depending on the package you opt for.

The solution uses a whole host of different security features to keep your credentials protected, offering, amongst other things, AES 256 encryption, two-factor authentication and 100-character passwords that are all automatically backed up in real time.

Thycotic Secret Server offers four different packages, ranging from a free solution with limited features right through to a platinum package. Pricing for the more premium packages starts at US$5,000.

LastPass

LastPass offers users the choice of a browser extension and a mobile device application to manage their passwords. The browser extension is supported by all major browsers, including Opera and Safari.

It stores the passwords for all your online accounts in one centralised vault which is secured by a master password, AES-256-bit encryption, salted hashes, two-factor authentication and device level encryption.

The mobile application uses the same centralised vault setup and offers an added layer of security through fingerprint access.

LastPass offers both a ‘Teams’ and ‘Enterprise’ package, costing US$2.50 and US$4 per user/per month respectably.

Lieberman RED Identity Management

The solution offered by Lieberman aims to protect your organisation from malicious insiders by simplifying how you manage your passwords and allowing you to track which users access your privileged accounts.

Each account is provided with a unique password that frequently changes, preventing unauthorised and anonymous access.

Credentials are stored and secured in a backend database that has military grade AES encryption and passwords are configurable in complexity and length; a maximum of 127 characters depending on the system.

Lieberman RED Identity Management supports on-premises, cloud and hybrid environments and has a starting price of US$299.

Dashlane

Dashlane provides users with a more secure way to manage their logins, passwords and payment information online.

It includes a password generator which creates and stores unique and complex passwords for you, removing the stress of having to think of and remember a different, strong password every 90 days. Credentials are protected using AES-256 encryption and accessed using a single master password.

Dashlane also scans the internet for leaked or stolen personal data, automatically alerting users if their information is found somewhere it shouldn’t be.

Dashlane’s premium plan allows you to use their solution on multiple devices and costs US$3.33 a month. Their business plan costs US$4 per user/per month.

One Identity

One Identity solutions claim to eliminate the complexities and time-consuming processes often associated with managing identities, privileged accounts and control access. Its password manager is part of the Active Directory platform and provides users with a simple and secure, self-service solution that enables individuals reset forgotten passwords, and unlock their accounts with minimal fuss. The solution integrates seamlessly with Windows and uses technologies such as 3DES, MD5, SSL and Microsoft’s CryptoAPI.

One Identity offer a 30-day free trial and additional pricing plans are available on request.

1Password

1Password provides a place for users to store multiple passwords, software licenses, and other sensitive information in a virtual vault that is locked with a PBKDF2-guarded master password. Users can store passwords locally on a smart device or a PC, but files can also be synchronised through Dropbox and iCloud. 1Password also offers a browser extension that is supported by Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer. The solution also offers multi-factor authentication to help provide your business with an extra layer of protection.

Team plans start at US$3.99 per user per month and a business plan costs $7.99 per user per month. An enterprise plan is available upon request.