We love Google. It can be used daily to search, email, store, and share documents and keep our lives in and outside of work more organized. Honestly, how did we ever function without it?
For a company that has no system in place to keep track of their passwords, Google Sheets seems a logical place to start. It allows you to separate, label, and categorize, plus it autosaves your work. It gives some level of access control as to who can view, edit, and comment on a document. It's free, and almost everyone is already using it.
[Table of Contents]
- Is Google Sheets Secure?
- Why You Should Not Store Passwords in Google Sheets
- The Preferred Google Sheets Replacement
Is Google Sheets Secure?
The question of Google Sheet's security often arises due to the sensitive data that users might store within these sheets. Let's delve into whether Google Sheets is secure or not, along with supporting reasons for both sides.
Ways Google Sheets is secure:
1. Data Encryption: Google Sheets employs strong encryption protocols to protect your data while it's being transferred and stored on their servers. This helps ensure that unauthorized parties cannot easily access your information.
2. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Google offers 2FA, an additional layer of security that requires you to provide a second form of verification, usually a code sent to your phone, when logging into your account. This prevents unauthorized access even if your password is compromised.
3. Access Controls: Google Sheets provides you with granular control over who can access your documents. You can share sheets with specific individuals, granting them view or edit permissions, or keep them entirely private.
Ways Google Sheets is not secure:
1. Data Breaches: While Google has stringent security measures in place, no system is entirely immune to data breaches. There have been instances of high-profile breaches affecting various Google services, raising concerns about the safety of stored data.
2. Third-Party Add-ons: Google Sheets allows third-party add-ons that can sometimes access your data. While Google vets these add-ons to some extent, there's still a possibility that a malicious add-on could compromise your data's security.
3. Account Compromise: If your Google account is compromised, unauthorized individuals could potentially gain access to your Google Sheets. This is why it's crucial to maintain a strong, unique password and enable 2FA.
Why You Should Not Store Passwords in Google Sheets
There are three main areas of concern when Google Sheets becomes the sole keeper of your passwords. Let's break down what they are.
#1. Security Concerns
- Encryption Limitations: While Google Sheets uses encryption to protect your data, it's important to understand that this encryption primarily safeguards data during transit and at rest. This means that once you or someone else has access to the spreadsheet, the passwords are exposed in plain text. Strong encryption doesn't protect against unauthorized access within the spreadsheet itself.
- Sharing Risks: Google Sheets allows you to share documents with others, granting varying levels of access. This flexibility can be a double-edged sword. If you accidentally share a password sheet with the wrong person, or if someone with malicious intent gains access, the consequences can be severe.
- Other Vulnerabilities: Beyond encryption and sharing, Google Sheets is susceptible to other security threats. For example, phishing attacks can trick users into revealing their Google account credentials, granting attackers access to your password spreadsheet. Additionally, there's always the risk of human error, such as accidentally leaving a spreadsheet open in a public space.
#2. Operational Challenges
Managing passwords in Google Sheets can quickly become a logistical nightmare. You'll likely find yourself creating multiple spreadsheets to control who can view or edit specific password information. This introduces complexity and inefficiency into your workflow.
For instance, granting someone view-only access might seem like a good idea, but what happens when they need to create a new account? You'll need to involve the spreadsheet owner to update the password information. On the other hand, giving everyone edit access exposes sensitive data to potential human error and malicious activities.
#3. Time and Resource Constraints
Maintaining multiple password spreadsheets with varying security levels is time-consuming and requires constant management. This diverts valuable resources away from your core responsibilities.
Moreover, if you manage passwords for clients, you open yourself up to additional liabilities. Clients expect their information to be handled securely, and using Google Sheets for password storage might not meet those standards. Establishing robust security protocols and accountability measures will demand significant effort and resources.
TeamPassword: The Preferred Solution
These are just a few examples of situations where using a Google spreadsheet is inefficient and inconvenient.
A password manager like TeamPassword can vastly improve your company's security processes, increase efficiency, and step-up security. TeamPassword lets you easily create groups to manage who has access to what, write detailed labels to distinguish accounts used by several clients, and quickly onboard new employees and clients by giving or removing access in just a few clicks. Our browser extensions allow you to access all your login information right in your browser window without interrupting your workflow.
TeamPassword provides:
- Unified password control: Keep all your team’s passwords organized and accessible in one secure location.
- Uncompromising protection: Shield your passwords with cutting-edge encryption and advanced security measures.
- Customized access management: Precisely control who can view and utilize specific passwords to mitigate risks.
- Seamless collaboration: Enhance teamwork and productivity by eliminating the dangers of password sharing.
- In-depth security monitoring: Track password activities with detailed logs to identify potential threats and ensure accountability.
Ready to step up your data security? See why TeamPassword is your best option to securely store and share your passwords by starting our free 14-day trial today!
