These days, data security is an everyday discussion. After all, with the increasingly digital world that we live in, people are essentially performing thousands of electronic “transactions” each day, and every single action that goes unsecured or unmonitored could create an opportunity for potential threats to data privacy.

The average millennial, according to research, has an average of 40 different online accounts, give or take. Some have far more. You might be thinking, “40?!?? That seems like a lot.”

Well, stop and think for a second. In the average day, how many personalized websites do you visit? How many online places do you shop? How many email accounts do you have? What about social networks? Once you start going through them, you’ll quickly realize the list is a lot longer than you thought. And, even if you only have a dozen or so accounts, that’s still a dozen or so passwords to secure and keep private. It's hard enough to manage your personal accounts.

And then there’s the issue of password security for your small business. This is even more critical than your personal password management and security, and as we’ve seen, it can literally cripple a business if not taken seriously enough or checked regularly for compliance and proper function. Even when you have separate passwords for all accounts, and even when you make people change them regularly, things can all go downhill very, very quickly.

Of course, you’ve got to have a password security tool before you can monitor it. And with so many different options on the market today, how are you possibly going to choose the right one? Well, we’ve got the hardest part of that covered-- in the list below, you’ll find the best password security apps for small businesses, even if you don’t have a lot to spend. After all, if the cloud has taught us anything, it’s that you don’t have to pay top dollar to get the best tools for your business.

What to look for

If you’re in the market for password security apps, you have to make sure that you know what you need. It's obvious that you want secure, reliable password storage, but what else is there? There are several great tools on the market, including the ones we’ll discuss below, but first, let’s talk a little more about exactly what makes them “great”.

Security

First and foremost, you want to choose a tool that has the best security. These tools will manage and store your password in the cloud-based vault or in a local storage server that is created on your device. A lot of people prefer cloud access so that they can get their tools from anywhere, but you’ll need to double-check the security here to ensure the latest encryption is used, along with things like two-factor authentication.

Encryption

Speaking of encryption, this is an element all its own. The program should advocate for added security and other security tools that could help your business. It should also offer the option for biometrics, at least on mobile devices, including fingerprints and facial recognition. You may even want to consider up-to-date security features like automatic password generation and integrated two-factor authentication.

Compatibility

You might not think that you want your employees to be able to access their business details on their personal devices, but cross-device compatibility is a must these days. What if you’re on the road or in a pinch and only have access from a mobile device? Perhaps you’ll want to limit or discourage use of some features, but you need to make sure the tool is compatible with any and all devices you are considering using.

Ease of use

Passwords are already a pain. In fact, we’ve got an entire industry dedicated to improving the way that people create, manage, and store passwords. The system should be simple, and everything should work seamlessly. Make sure browser extensions are automatic and that you can share access to passwords and accounts as needed.

Additional Features and a Note on Cost

We’ve already saved you from the stress of cost—yes, it’s a concern but it’s not one that should have precedence over the bigger issues at play. Namely, what additional features are you getting and just how affordable are the solutions out there? Even when you’re on a budget, you’ll see that none of the solutions below will cost more than a few dollars a month. If you’re trying to get away from monthly expenses, there are even some password security apps that can be purchased for a one-time use fee rather than paying a monthly bill.

Now that you’re more familiar with what these tools offer and which features will be most integral to your success, let’s take a look at the top password security apps on the market today that will protect all of your data and passwords without pricing you out of your budget.

If you want to add extra protection for your mission critical services, from 24/7 live chat to phone answering and overflow calling solutions, reach out and let us know how the dedicated team of receptionists at Smith.ai can help.

Keeper: Best for overall security

Keeper Password Manager & Digital Vault is a solution that is designed to provide leading cybersecurity tools that will prevent data breaches and all kinds of cyber threats. The platform includes mobile access, too, along with an intuitive interface and confidentiality requirements that can be tailored to the needs of specific industries. It’s been ranked Editor’s Choice by PC Mag and a 2020 Enterprise Leader by G2.

Keeper comes in personal, education, business, enterprise, and other versions, with each catering to the unique needs of the respective audiences. The business plan is less than $4 per month for each user, and it even comes with a free trial so that you can test drive it before you commit. You'll enjoy shared team folders and unlimited device access.

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·  Free option? No, but there is a trial

·  Price: $3.75/user, per month for business version

·  Security audit

·  Encrypted vault storage for users

·  Team management tools

·  Two-factor authentication

Zoho Vault: Best for remote teams and shared accounts

If your teams are using shared accounts and working remotely, you are probably familiar with the Zoho family of products. Zoho Vault is their answer to password security apps and tools that will help you keep your information safe. It offers easy password importing, instant and real-time sharing, and reporting tools. You can even see who’s been using what passwords and integrate in just minutes with the easy installation process.

Zoho Vault makes it easy to use via the browser extension, which all users can download and then have access to the shared vault of secure data and passwords. You can even manage users and keep an Active Directory of your users. If you upgrade to the enterprise package, you can be alerted whenever passwords are changed or accessed.

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·  Free option? Yes, free for personal use

·  Price: $1 per month for standard use, $4 per month for groups and reporting, $7 with Active Directory

·  Multiple levels of features

·  Password management

·  Detailed reporting

·  User management permissions

·  Easy integration via browser extension

·  Import and export passwords

LastPass: Best for ease of use

LastPass is a premium security tool that is designed to help provide password protection in several different ways. It includes browser operation and is available on multiple platforms. It also has dark web monitoring tools, two-factor authentication, and password inheritance features. Free users won’t have access to as many features, but it is a basic tool that gets the job done for those who need something simple.

LastPass offers secure sharing and has a password strength report so that you can keep tabs on everyone and make sure that your business is secure. It is also easy to use and has plenty of features that can be customized. The cloud-based access makes it scalable and mobile access means you can manage and monitor your security on the go.

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·  Free option? Yes

·  Price: $3 per month for Premium plan

·  Digital record storage

·  Dark web monitoring

·  simple sharing

·  Automatic password storage for private devices

·  Simple online shopping with form fill capabilities

·  Built-in password generator

CommonKey: Best for budgets

CommonKey is available on the web and for Chrome and offers a solution for affordable password management. For starters, it’s free forever for teams of three or fewer, and after that it’s just two dollars per user, per year. How’s that for budget-friendly? This platform is a cloud-hosted option that makes it easy to scale to your needs and use as you’d like. It’s great for teams and individual use alike, and you can even do both.

The browser extension can save passwords to the dashboard and auto-fill forms along the way, ensuring that the passwords are always secure throughout the process. You can even help your team with the included password generator and getting started is as simple as sending an email link to every user.

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·  Free option? Free for up to three users

·  Price: $2 per user, per month

·  Separate business and personal password storage

·  Easy integration

·  Cloud-based access

·  Browser extension available

·  Auto-save and auto-fill

Passwork

Passwork is an open-source password security app that is designed for use on Android, iOS, Chrome, and Windows, as well as for the web. It is ideal for those who want to build their own custom password tool from open-source tools and applications, and it offers an affordable option without having to commit to a specific brand or its limitations. This password manager allows you to store tons of secure data, monitor passwords and accounts, and more.

With Passwork, you can also bring in temporary members for the team and manage access to certain passwords and data. You can even get a password history from the app that will show you which passwords have been used most recently. They're able to be organized into groups and folders and you can use storage features to setup auto-logins for your online accounts.

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·  Free option? No

·  Price: $9 per user, per year

·  Administrative controls

·  Temporary team member option

·  Open-source platform

·  Multiple options for access

·  Scalable platform

·  Organizational tools

·  Browser extensions available

Secure your passwords, then secure your mission critical services with Smith.ai

Protecting your small business takes a strategic plan. That’s also the case when it comes to managing your day-to-day operations. If you feel like you can’t keep up with calls or messages, or even if you just want a budget-friendly way to put a professional face on your customer service, ask how the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai can help.

Our dedicated team knows all about handling customer calls, messages, and other requests. We can take care of lead intake and appointment scheduling, those after-hours calls that you’d like to sleep through, and so much more. While you’re taking care of business, we’ll make sure that we take care of the rest.

Schedule your consultation now to discuss how we can collaborate to create the perfect solution with our team of virtual receptionists. We’re available via email or (650) 727-6484 for questions, as well.