Yes, your accountancy firm should use a business password manager. It stores and generates strong, unique passwords, fills them in automatically, syncs them across every device, and keeps client logins safe when someone leaves. It’s far safer than letting staff save passwords in their browser, and it removes one of the most common points of risk in a practice.
Your team logs in to a lot of places: Microsoft 365, practice software, HMRC, Companies House and individual client portals. How those passwords are stored matters a great deal. Here’s why a proper password manager is worth it.
1. Browser-stored passwords are risky
Saving passwords in Chrome or Edge feels convenient, but they can be extracted relatively easily by malware, and they don’t sync securely across devices. For a practice holding sensitive client logins, that’s a weak spot worth closing.
2. Strong, unique passwords everywhere
The biggest password risk is reuse. If one site is breached and your team used the same password elsewhere, attackers will try it across other logins. A password manager generates a strong, unique password for every account, so a breach in one place doesn’t put the others at risk.
3. Control and visibility for the practice
A business tool such as Keeper lets the practice see where passwords are weak or reused and fix them. Staff sign in with a master password or their Microsoft account, and it works across their computer and phone. It’s the same convenience as the browser, but secure and managed.
4. Logins don’t leave when staff do
This is a big one for accountants. When someone leaves, their client and portal logins stay with the practice rather than in their head or their browser. Those passwords can be reassigned to a colleague, so you’re not scrambling to reset access for every client.
A real example: a London music accountancy firm
We support a London music and entertainment accountancy firm whose whole team works securely from home with no disruption, running CCH, document management (FYI and INVU), QuickBooks and payroll software day to day. Security is layered with ThreatLocker application allowlisting, access restricted by location, managed email filtering and proactive patching, so the practice stays focused on a busy, growing client book instead of on IT. When something does come up, it’s resolved on a single phone call.
For a London accountancy practice serving music and entertainment clients, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with headcount, your hosted desktop or CCH setup, and the security your high-profile clients expect.
Why London music accountancy firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including London music and entertainment accountancy firms, and we know the software your practice runs every day: CCH, QuickBooks, payroll software (including QTAC), and document management with FYI and INVU. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support practices across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Still relying on browser-stored passwords? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll help you roll out a password manager properly.