Bitwarden Report Finds 99% of Organizations Strengthened Security Posture After Deploying Password Management

July 30, 2025 at 10:24 AM EDT

Mandated adoption more than doubles usage, contributing to a 68% drop in weak credentials and 40% reduction in overall security risk

Bitwarden, the trusted leader in password, passkey, and secrets management, today announced the results of the 2025 Bitwarden Security Impact Report. The survey of more than 100 IT leaders, executives, and end users finds that company-wide mandates more than double password manager adoption, with 79% of employees using Bitwarden regularly in mandated environments compared to 36% without. The findings highlight the role of leadership support, technical enforcement, and effective communication in overcoming internal resistance and scaling adoption.

Mandates drive adoption but require structure and support

More than a third (35%) of organizations identify user resistance as the primary challenge to password manager adoption. This is largely due to user reluctance in abandoning existing workflows and lack of information on why they need to change.

To address these gaps, organizations that combine mandates with technical enforcement, dedicated training, and executive communication report stronger adoption. Nearly half (43%) cite enforcement tactics, such as disabling browser-based password storage, as the most effective driver of regular use. When paired with user enablement efforts, 99% of respondents say Bitwarden strengthened their organization’s security posture.

What successful teams do differently

High-performing organizations take a structured, cross-functional approach. 38% of respondents cite executive announcements, such as email or company-wide meetings, that explain the benefits of secure password management as the most effective communication strategy for driving adoption. Ongoing security training further boosts participation, while support resources like how-tos, documentation, and FAQs are seen as essential to reducing friction.

“Every time someone would want a password shared, IT would send it through Bitwarden,” said Kyle Morrison, IT Specialist, Securly. “That's how we helped a lot of the users that didn't implement it at first. Bitwarden was the only way they could have this shared password, in the collection with all your other teammates. That's where everything's stored and that's where everything's going to be stored for the future.”

Phased rollouts and internal champions also accelerate adoption. 35% of respondents say starting with one department and expanding gradually is “very effective” for building momentum.

“One of the best ways we addressed employee resistance to using a password manager was phased rollouts based on departments,” said Michael Young, IT Support Specialist, Point North Insurance Group. “We started with our accounting team and then they were basically the pilot group for it. Then we just rolled it out to everyone.”

IT or security teams lead deployment efforts in 81% of cases, though executive buy-in remains essential for organization-wide adoption.

Password managers reduce risk and strengthen secure habits

Organizations that fully deploy a password manager report measurable gains in security posture, including:

68% reduction in weak or reused credentials
40% decrease in overall security risk
55% increase in employee awareness of secure password habits
35% improvement in how employees handle sensitive information
33% enforcement of least privilege access to company credentials

Respondents attributed this progress to eliminating weak, reused, or otherwise vulnerable credentials, a result that compounds over time as password managers become embedded into daily routines.

Together, these outcomes reflect better daily practices and deeper engagement with secure credential management.

Methodology and full report

The 2025 Bitwarden Security Impact Report is based on a survey conducted from May 12 to June 10, 2025, with 111 respondents including IT admins, department heads, executive leaders, and end users from Bitwarden enterprise customers. Follow-up interviews were conducted to collect qualitative insights.

For a detailed analysis of adoption strategies and security outcomes, download the full report here: https://bitwarden.com/resources/bitwarden-security-impact-report

To learn more about how Bitwarden helps organizations strengthen security and scale adoption, visit bitwarden.com.

About Bitwarden

Bitwarden equips enterprises and individuals with the power to securely manage and share information online with trusted open source security solutions. With a password manager for everyone, users can easily manage their entire online identity anywhere. Bitwarden Secrets Manager and Passwordless.dev enhance developer secrets security and streamline passkey development for end users and workforce authentication. Founded in 2016, Bitwarden serves over 50,000 businesses and more than 10 million users worldwide across 180 countries in 50+ languages. The company is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at bitwarden.com.