A password is usually based on a combination of alpha-numericals used to authenticate a user before giving them access to a network. Passwords are used together with a username and these credentials are considered to be one of the most standard methods of authentication and management of users on a network. It is quite common for employees working in the same company to share passwords among themselves. This could be done for various reasons, if you are working on the same project together, sharing passwords makes it easier to collaborate, furthermore, supervisors or team leaders may ask for an employee’s password to verify or edit their work. Hence, sharing passwords has become a commonality that is not questioned by most companies. However, sharing passwords could prove to be harmful to your company and its network.
Here’s how sharing passwords could be harmful:
- It is very easy for a shared password to land up in the wrong hands. While you share your password through digital means, there are chances of hackers or other outside parties to be able to retrieve that password and misuse it. This shared password could be used to compromise sensitive company data.
- Many a times, it so happens that people tend to use the same password for multiple accounts. If you use your personal password for a company account and end up sharing that password with an employee, it could be harmful to the company as well as your personal data. This password could be used to steal or hack into your personal information.
- Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) and work from home have become trends in the corporate world to maximise productivity. However, using shared passwords on multiple devices can be dangerous. These passwords when used on an employee’s home or personal network can be harmful to the company’s corporate data.
- While working on the same project, if passwords are shared, there are chances of work credit being compromised. Someone may even make wrong changes to a document or send the wrong email to a client. If the password is shared among employees, it becomes difficult to track the employee behind such malpractices.
- Sharing passwords may also lead to network security breaches. Shared passwords can make your network vulnerable to external and internal malpractitioners. This can lead to leaked company data or employee’s personal information.
- In case an employee leaves the company, it becomes difficult to fetch back the shared passwords. These passwords might be stored in their devices which may be connected to other networks in the future, exposing your company’s data to hackers on that network. This could prove to be a serious threat to your network.
There are better alternatives to sharing passwords such as collaborative inboxes where each user has their own login credentials to access the same account. The changes made by each user can be seen clearly in such inboxes, it avoids confusion and also helps in organization which leads to efficient work and increased productivity.