A password manager has become a vital software application for employees of every business that relies on computers.
According to NordPass, the average person has 87 passwords for their business-related accounts. That seems like a lot… until you realize that same individual also has 168 passwords for personal accounts. That means the average person has 255 passwords.
It can be tempting to reuse passwords across multiple sites, but that presents serious cybersecurity concerns.
“You probably have more passwords than you realize,” according to John Joyce, CEO and co-owner of CRS Technology Consultants. “The question is how many times are you reusing them? How many passwords do you know? That’s the real problem.”
John recently covered the topic of passwords during a Tech Bytes segment on Gulf Coast News. The segment, titled “Striking the balance between strong and memorable passwords,” acknowledged that it’s impossible to remember so many passwords. That’s especially true if computer users heed advice of IT experts to never reuse the same password across multiple sites and programs.
Why So Many Passwords?
In 2025, nearly every type of account, website and software program requires a username and password. For businesses, common programs requiring passwords include:
- Email: Microsoft Outlook, Gmail
- Messaging: Slack, Microsoft Teams
- Video conferencing: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx
- Payroll services: ADP, Paychex
- Accounting: Quickbooks, Xero
- Social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X
- Customer relationship management: Salesforce, HubSpot
- File sharing: Google Drive, Dropbox, Sharefile
- Analytics: Google Analytics, SEMrush
In their personal lives, individuals also have usernames and passwords for email and social media accounts. People need personal logins for:
- Banking: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup
- E-commerce: Amazon, eBay, Etsy
- News websites: New York Times, CNN, USA Today
- Video streaming: Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Paramount+, Apple TV+
- Music/Audio streaming: Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, Apple Music, Podbean, Listen Notes
- Gaming accounts: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, Roblox, Twitch
READ MORE: The Password Puzzle: Password Protection Tips for Businesses
Password Security Concerns
Years ago, people would write down their passwords on a sticky note next to their computer. That certainly wasn’t secure.
Today, the problem is people using a single password across all websites, programs and apps.
“This opens up multiple accounts to vulnerabilities,” the NordPass article notes. “For example, if one account is breached, all accounts using the same password and owned by that user are at risk. Abandoned accounts on rarely visited platforms with weaker security measures can become the prime target for cybercriminals. The threat increases if people reuse the same credentials for both personal and work accounts. A breach of a personal account could potentially affect the company’s security as well.”
John equates password variations to a balanced investment portfolio.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” he says. “You never want to put all your money in one place because if something happens there, it’s all gone. That same logic applies here. We’re duplicating the risk every time we reuse the same password over and over again.”
These days, data breaches and password leaks are common. If the average person has 200+ accounts with passwords, a breach could impact all facets of an individual’s digital life.
“If that gets into a hacker’s hands, they’re not just hurting you in one place… they’re hurting you in hundreds of places,” John says.
John advises CRS’ partners to assume their passwords are posted somewhere on the dark web because of data breaches. Additionally, cybercriminals mine social media for clues about potential passwords. It’s just a matter of time before a cybercriminal puts two and two together.
“We are giving the bad guys all the fuel they need to figure out those passwords,” John says.
In 2024, it was the first time in six years that “123456” was not the most common password. What replaced it?
“The new most common password was the word ‘secret’ – all lowercase,” John notes. “So the secret is kind of out.”
How a password manager works
Dashlane provides an easy-to-understand explanation of password managers in its Beginner’s Guide.
“A password manager is a type of software you can use to generate, store, and autofill strong passwords, along with other frequently used information, such as credit card numbers. With the help of a password manager, you only need to remember one master password to access your encrypted virtual vault.”
John notes that having a program store, manage and generate strong passwords is relatively easy. Plus, a password manager is encrypted, secure and relatively inexpensive.
PCMag, which offers independent reviews of the latest tech products and services, outlined its selections for the best password manager services for 2025:
- NordPass: Editor’s Choice and Best Premium Password Manager
- RoboForm: Best Form-Filling Capabilities
- Proton Pass: Best Free Password Manager
- 1Password: Best for Frequent Travelers
- Dashlane: Best Security Features
- Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault: Best for Sharing Passwords
- LogMeOnce: Best Digital Inheritance Options
- LastPass: Best Interface
- Bitwarden: Best Affordable Password Manager
- Enpass Password Manager: Best for On-Device Storage
PAMag outlined the “pros” of NordPass, which include customer-friendly sharing options, credit card breach scans, email breach scans, password health tools, emergency access and email masking.
“NordPass, from the team behind NordVPN, is a slick, well-organized and easy-to-use service for securely accessing your passwords via desktop and mobile apps or on the web,” PCMag notes. “It’s an Editors’ Choice award winner because it has helpful features like comprehensive and detailed data breach reports, email masking, a password health report and a password inheritance option.”
No matter which password manager a company and its employees use, John said there is another step to password security.
“With all the best passwords in the world, you still need to have Multi-Factor Authentication everywhere you can, which is the other thing people hate because it’s one more step,” John says. “No one wants to slow down to find their phone and put in a code or authenticate with a fingerprint, but that extra step is one of, if not the most important, factors you can have at work and at home.”
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