Manage credentials securely without the sticky notes

Website: [fill in the URL, app store link, or download location here]

Login Details:
Username: [your username goes here]
Password: [your password goes here]

Don't paste actual passwords into this step if others can see it. Instead, reference where they're stored in your password manager.

Website: [fill in the URL, app store link, or download location here]

Login Details:
Username: [your username goes here]
Password: [your password goes here]

Same rule as before - don't put real passwords where they can be seen. Point people to the password vault entry instead.

Time to set up login credentials that actually follow security standards. Your passwords need to be at least 12 characters with a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. Don't reuse passwords across different systems - that's how one breach turns into five. Use a password generator instead of making them up yourself. We're all bad at being random, and attackers know the patterns we tend to pick.

Put every credential into your team's password manager - not in spreadsheets, sticky notes, or shared documents. If your company hasn't picked a vault yet, that's the first thing to sort out. When you need to share a login with someone, do it through the vault's sharing feature. Never email or message passwords directly. It only takes one forwarded email to expose a credential to the wrong person.

Enable MFA on every system that supports it - this is your safety net when a password gets compromised. Use an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator or Authy) instead of SMS codes whenever you can. Text messages aren't as secure as people think. Make sure you also save your backup recovery codes somewhere safe - you'll need them if you lose your phone. In practice, MFA blocks the vast majority of account takeover attempts.

Only give credentials to people who genuinely need them for their job - not to everyone "just in case." Keep a record of who has access to what, and review that list at least once a quarter. When someone changes roles or leaves the company, revoke their access right away. Don't wait until next week - former employees with active logins are one of the most common ways breaches happen. The fewer people who have access, the smaller your risk.

Change your passwords on a regular cycle - every 90 days is a good baseline for most systems. If there's any hint of a breach, don't wait for the schedule - change them immediately. When you rotate a password, update it in your vault right away so nobody gets locked out. Set up automatic rotation through your systems wherever that's an option. Old passwords that leak months later can still be used if you haven't changed them.