Password Sharing Best Practices for Remote Teams

Remote work has transformed how teams collaborate, but it's also created new security challenges. Without the ability to whisper a password across the desk, distributed teams need secure digital methods to share credentials. Unfortunately, most teams default to the easiest option: Slack messages, emails, or shared documents.

The remote team security challenge

Remote teams face unique challenges when sharing passwords:

Geographic distribution. Team members across time zones can't easily coordinate real-time credential sharing.

Personal devices. BYOD policies mean passwords might end up on personal devices with varying security levels.

Contractor turnover. Freelancers and contractors may need temporary access without long-term credential storage.

Network insecurity. Team members working from cafes, airports, or home networks with varying security.

What not to do

Before diving into best practices, let's address what many remote teams get wrong:

• Passwords in Slack/Teams: These platforms keep searchable histories. A compromised account exposes all past credentials.
• Shared spreadsheets: Google Sheets or Excel files with passwords are a security nightmare. Anyone with access can copy them.
• Email forwarding chains: Passwords get forwarded, CC'd, and end up in multiple inboxes indefinitely.
• Notion/wiki pages: Documentation tools are great for processes, not for storing live credentials.
• Text messages: SMS is unencrypted and persists on carrier servers and device backups.

Best practices for remote password sharing

Use one-time links for ad-hoc sharing

For occasional credential sharing, one-time links provide the best balance of security and convenience. Create a secure link with the credential, send it via any channel, and the credential is encrypted and deletes after viewing. Optionally add passphrase protection for extra security.

Establish clear credential sharing protocols

Document when and how credentials should be shared. Define who can request credentials and the approval chains for sensitive access. Specify which method to use—one-time links for temporary sharing, password managers for persistent access. Always verify requests through a second channel, and set expiration policies so contractor credentials expire with their contract.

Implement time-based access

Remote teams often work asynchronously, making time-based access control important. Set link expirations that match the recipient's time zone. Use longer expirations for team members in distant time zones. Always set an expiration, even if it's generous—never create permanent links.

Verify before sharing

Social engineering attacks target remote workers because verification is harder. Before sharing any credential, confirm the request through a different channel than it was made. Be suspicious of urgent requests, especially from "executives." Use video calls for high-value credential sharing.

Recommended workflow

Here's a secure process for sharing credentials with your remote team:

1. Request verification: Confirm the credential request is legitimate via a separate channel (e.g., Slack DM to verify an email request).
2. Create one-time link: Use Burn the Secret to create an encrypted, self-destructing link with the credential.
3. Add passphrase (optional): For highly sensitive credentials, add a passphrase and share it separately.
4. Send the link: Share through your team's standard communication channel.
5. Confirm receipt: Ask the recipient to confirm they successfully accessed the credential.

Special scenarios

New employee onboarding. When onboarding remote employees, prepare all initial credentials in advance as separate one-time links. Send links during the onboarding call so you can verify receipt. Use separate links for each credential (don't bundle them). Have the new hire confirm each credential works before proceeding.

Contractor/freelancer access. Always use view-limited or time-limited links. Create project-specific accounts when possible instead of sharing main credentials. Rotate credentials when the contract ends. Document what access was provided and when it should be revoked.

Emergency access. For urgent situations when the credential owner isn't available, pre-create emergency one-time links and store the URLs securely. Use longer expirations for emergency credentials. Ensure at least two people know how to access emergency credentials.

Ready to secure your remote team's credential sharing? Create a secure link on Burn the Secret.