The number of passwords that a user has to manage and keep track of is expanding rapidly. To be secure, a password should be between eight and 64 characters long, and include a mix of capital and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. But while this makes it more secure, it also makes it harder to remember. Because of this, users often use simple passwords that are easy to crack, or re-use one password across multiple accounts, enabling an attacker to access all those accounts with a single credential theft attack. Password managers can help mitigate these risks.
Password managers are software tools that store your passwords securely, generate unique and complex passwords, auto-fill credentials, and monitor for password breaches. They allow users to improve their password hygiene, without sacrificing productivity or stress.
Password managers come in two different forms: on-premises and cloud. Currently, many providers tend to focus on cloud-based solutions. These are a good option for companies that want to prioritize flexibility and remote working, because cloud password management providers allow users to log in to their password vaults from anywhere. However, this option is not ideal for all organizations.
Some organizations need to store their data locally in order to comply with certain data privacy regulations. For these organizations, an on-premises password manager deployment may be the best option because they store your passwords on-premises, where you can have total control over their security. As your passwords never leave your local storage, the prospect of them being stolen during transport is eliminated.
In this article, we will explore the top password managers that store your passwords locally. Some of the providers also allow for cloud storage. For each solution, we will highlight some of the platform’s key features that make it stand out from the rest. We will then suggest the type of organization that would benefit most from using each platform.