LastPass is the simplest, safest way to share passwords

The most secure way to share passwords is through a password manager. While common methods – sharing passwords by email, through a shared spreadsheet, or sharing via text message – are convenient, they’re not safe. These unsecured methods of sharing leave you and your sensitive information open to vulnerabilities that could be breached by the most novice hackers.

A password manager is the best way to share passwords as it offers encrypted password sharing: a method that hides your plain text password from anyone who isn’t you and who you’re sharing it with. With LastPass, a password is never shared outside of your password vault; it’s only ever kept in your vault and the vault of those you’re sharing with.

The best tool to share passwords is a password manager like LastPass. It’s the most secure way to share passwords, as it provides people and businesses with integrated security controls that keep passwords safe.

For personal users, passwords can be shared one at a time, or you can group passwords by need. For instance, a user can group all their billing passwords in one place – banking, cell phone provider, internet, utilities – to share with their spouse. Best of all, the passwords remain encrypted at all times: they are only available on your password vault and the vaults of users you share them with.

With LastPass, businesses can control how passwords are shared with end-users. By integrating with an established user directory and leveraging LastPass’ security policies, admins can automatically share passwords with relevant team members, groups, vendors, and partners, all while being able to revoke access whenever necessary.

The best password managers offer users secure measures and functionality to share passwords with other users and several users at once. With LastPass, users can group passwords by folders and needs and share them with others. Passwords are always encrypted while shared from one LastPass password vault to another, ensuring the password is always safe.

In general, you should not share passwords via email. Sharing via the best password managers, like LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden, is the more secure option, as they offer end-to-end password sharing, ensuring your password will not be seen in its plain text form while in transit.

However, if you do choose to share passwords or sensitive information via email, you should do so through an encrypted email. For instance, Gmail can send encrypted emails if you need to share sensitive information like login credentials, tax documents, your social security number, etc.

When shared in their plain text form via text message, email, or as a Post-it® note, you run the risk of being attacked by hackers. Because you are sharing your sensitive information in an unsafe, unencrypted way, you leave yourself open to a data breach. It will take a hacker a second to see your password, copy it, and then log in to your accounts.

Passwords shared via password managers are kept secure thanks to end-to-end encryption. Users sharing passwords can even choose to keep shared passwords private from others, wherein users with access can log in but will never be able to view the password in its plain text form, heightening security further for the original account holder.

Password sharing can be done securely – but with the right precautions. The best password managers offer end-to-end encryption which will protect every password you send.

Security should be top of mind whenever sharing passwords. The best method is always the most secure way.

Methods like sharing via text message or email are unsafe, as you’re sharing through an unsecured digital messenger. The lack of encryption, and the fact that the password is written in clear plain text, means that any junior hacker could easily steal your sensitive data. Something as simple as forgetting to log out of your email on a public computer could prove fatal to your passwords and sensitive information.

Password sharing via a password manager like LastPass is your best option, as it provides end-to-end encryption sharing between users. It also provides fine-tuned control over password sharing: you can share passwords without a user ever being able to see the password in its plain text format; you can also revoke shared passwords whenever necessary, whether it’s someone you no longer want using your credentials or an employee who’s left your organization.

The legality around password sharing is a grey area, especially depending on the service whose login credentials you’re sharing. Most sites and services have no problem with password sharing, but there are recent cases, such as with Netflix, where password sharing has been said to breach copyright law.

In other cases, some will point to the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a cybersecurity law considered to be applicable to password sharing. In 2016, a U.S. appeals court ruled that password sharing was considered illegal, particularly when a password is shared with an unauthorized person.

This is why secure password sharing is essential for businesses, both for the security of your team members and your organization’s sensitive information. With LastPass, you can limit password access to approved users only, while also revoking the ability to share passwords outside of your organization. In the event an employee is terminated, you can immediately revoke their access to passwords to guarantee unauthorized access does not occur.