In many companies, access to passwords and systems is still governed by an unspoken rule: better a little too much access than too little.

In everyday work, this seems practical. Nobody has to wait. Projects move faster. External service providers can get started right away. Teams don’t block each other.

But this is exactly where security risks arise.

Every unnecessary access right is a potential vulnerability. And every password that more people can see or use than necessary increases the company’s attack surface.

The better principle is therefore:

As much as necessary, as little as possible.

More passwords mean more responsibility

Today, every company uses countless digital accounts: cloud platforms, SaaS tools, social media accounts, customer portals, remote access, internal systems and many other applications.

Each of these logins is a potential entry point.

In practice, such credentials are often shared across teams. Sometimes properly, via a password manager. But sometimes also via Excel lists, text files, emails or reused administrator logins.

Especially in hectic work environments, convenience often wins over control.

“Everyone knows the password.”

“We’ve always done it this way.”

“The access is only needed briefly.”

Statements like these sound harmless. They are not.

Because real password security doesn’t just mean creating strong passwords. It also means controlling precisely who may access which credentials, when and for what purpose.

This is where two important principles come into play: the principle of least privilege and granular sharing.

The principle of least privilege

The principle of least privilege is a fundamental principle of information security.

It means that every person, every device and every system receives only the access rights that are truly necessary for the task at hand. No more and no less.

That sounds simple. In practice, however, it is often not applied consistently.

Employees keep old access rights after changing roles. External service providers receive overly broad permissions. Administrator rights are handed out generously. Shared passwords sit in vaults that far too many people can access.

The problem: if an account is compromised, the scope of its permissions determines the potential damage.

A compromised account with minimal rights is annoying.

A compromised account with full access can become business-critical.

Why minimal permissions matter so much

Restricting permissions automatically reduces the risk in security incidents.

If credentials fall into the wrong hands, the potential damage remains limited. Attackers cannot automatically access all systems, data or passwords. Internal mistakes or accidental misuse also have less serious consequences.

Minimal permissions help companies to:

• reduce the attack surface
• limit damage from compromised accounts
• lower insider risks
• clarify responsibilities
• simplify audits and compliance requirements
• bring order to access structures that have grown over time

The principle of least privilege does not mean distrusting employees.

It means control. And in IT security, control is not an obstacle – it is protection.

A simple everyday example

Take a marketing team.

In many companies, several employees have access to social media accounts, analytics platforms, advertising accounts and design tools. Often too many people have administrator rights, even though they don’t need them.

A clear separation would make more sense:

One person may publish posts. Another may analyse campaigns. Only a few designated owners may change passwords, add new users or assign rights.

This way, the team can work efficiently without an unnecessary number of people holding critical permissions.

The goal is not to make work harder. The goal is to avoid unnecessary risks.

Granular sharing: precise access instead of full access

While the principle of least privilege defines how much access someone should receive, granular sharing is about how precisely that access is granted.

Granular sharing means sharing passwords and credentials specifically with certain people or groups. Different permissions can be assigned, for example “read only”, “edit”, “sharing allowed” or “sharing not allowed”.

This enables collaboration without sensitive credentials spreading uncontrolled throughout the company.

A modern password manager should therefore do more than store passwords. It should also control who may see, use, change or pass on what.

Why granular sharing is so valuable

Granular sharing makes password management traceable.

Instead of giving entire teams blanket full access, companies can match access precisely to tasks, roles or projects.

This brings several benefits:

• credentials are not exposed unnecessarily
• collaboration with internal and external people stays under control
• onboarding and offboarding become easier
• access can be granted and revoked faster
• responsibilities remain traceable
• security incidents are easier to contain

For example, an external service provider can be given time-limited access to a supplier portal without being able to change or share the password.

A project team can be given access to a specific vault that is revoked once the project is completed.

A department can see only the credentials it really needs for its work. Security then comes not from blocking, but from clear control.

Role-based access control

Another key building block is role-based access control, or RBAC.

Here, rights are not assigned manually to individuals but granted on the basis of roles. A role might be “Finance”, “Marketing”, “HR”, “IT administration” or “Management”.

This makes administration much easier. New employees receive the access that matches their role. When someone changes roles, old rights are removed and new ones granted. When someone leaves, access can be revoked cleanly.

This helps avoid permissions that pile up over time – which is especially important for growing companies. The more employees, systems and tools are added, the harder it becomes to keep permissions under control manually.

Temporary access instead of permanent rights

Not every access has to be permanent. In many cases, time-limited access is enough. This principle is often called just-in-time access.

An external auditor, for example, needs access to certain documents for only a few days. A service provider needs temporary access to a system. A project team needs access to certain accounts for a limited phase.

Once the period expires, access should be revoked automatically. This reduces unnecessary standing permissions and prevents forgotten access from lingering for months or years.

External access in particular should never be granted permanently if it is only needed temporarily.

Zero trust in password management

The zero-trust mindset is becoming increasingly important in password management, too.

Zero trust doesn’t mean trusting no one. It means that every access should be verified, limited and traceable.

Internal users should also authenticate securely. Critical access should be protected with multi-factor authentication. Sessions should be controlled. Activities should be logged.

The basic idea is simple:

Trust alone is not enough. Access must be verifiable.

This applies especially to privileged accounts, administrator logins and passwords that grant access to business-critical systems.

Traceability creates security

Good password management shows not only where passwords are stored. It also shows who accesses them.

Who viewed a password?

Who changed it?

Who shared it?

When was access granted?

When was it revoked?

This information is not only important for audits. It also helps in an emergency.

When a security incident occurs, companies need to understand quickly which accounts may be affected, who had access and which measures are needed.

Without logs, much remains guesswork. With clean traceability, you gain control.

Structured vaults instead of password sprawl

Credentials should not simply end up in one big shared vault.

A clear structure by department, project, sensitivity level or responsibility is better – for example, separate vaults for IT, HR, Finance, Marketing, Management and external service providers.

This segmentation helps to limit access cleanly.

If an incident occurs in one area, the entire company is not automatically affected. Access remains more isolated. Responsibilities are clearer. Permissions are easier to review.

A good vault structure is therefore not a detail.

It is a central component of secure password management.

Common mistakes in password management

Even with a password manager, security gaps arise if processes are not applied consistently.

Typical mistakes include:

• shared Excel spreadsheets or text files containing passwords
• overly broad access to central password vaults
• “all-access” permissions without restrictions
• former employees keeping access to shared accounts
• no regular review of permissions
• administrators being exempted from the least-privilege principle
• external service providers receiving permanent full access
• role changes not leading to old rights being revoked

These mistakes turn password management from a security measure into a new risk.

Because a password manager only creates security if it is properly structured, controlled and used consistently.

How to put least privilege into practice

Introducing minimal permissions and granular sharing doesn’t have to be complicated. What matters is a pragmatic start.

First, check who currently has access to what. This often reveals excessive permissions, outdated accounts, unknown logins or shared administrator rights.

Next, define roles and groups. They must reflect the actual tasks in the company, not theoretical org charts.

Access can then be reduced, structured and documented in a targeted way.

In practice, the following steps have proven effective:

• review existing access and permissions
• clearly define roles and groups
• reduce administrator rights to the necessary minimum
• structure password vaults by department or project
• review access regularly
• consistently clean up former employees’ and external access
• enable multi-factor authentication for critical accounts
• use logs and reports to make access traceable

The key is not to make everything perfect right away. The key is to reduce unnecessary access systematically.

Control is the new security

In today’s business environment, password management is about more than storing complex passwords.

It is about controlling access intelligently.

Because passwords are not just technical credentials. They are keys to customer data, financial information, business processes, communication channels and internal systems.

Those who hand out these keys without control increase their risk.

Those who deliberately limit, document and regularly review them create security.

The principle of least privilege and granular sharing help companies reduce risks, clarify responsibilities and embed security in everyday work.

Conclusion: as much as necessary, as little as possible

Employees should only receive the permissions they really need for their work. Not out of distrust – but because every unnecessary right is an additional risk.

When every vault, every password and every access right is granted deliberately, security becomes part of everyday work rather than an after-the-fact correction.

Modern IT security is not just about whom you trust. It is about designing access so that as little as possible can go wrong.

Or, in short:

As much as necessary, as little as possible.