# How to set up a break glass account for secure emergency access IT due diligence scrutinizes credential governance and access controls. See how password management helps organizations reduce deal friction and pass review faster. --- Modern identity platforms rely on strong authentication, conditional access, and least privilege to protect privileged accounts. These controls strengthen security. But they can also block legitimate administrators from reaching critical systems during an identity provider outage, an authentication failure, or a policy misconfiguration. A break glass account provides a secure recovery path when standard administrative access is unavailable. To work when it matters most, the account needs careful provisioning, protection, monitoring, and testing. Creating an emergency access account alone is not enough. > In Bitwarden, you would create a service account as an "Owner" and then store the credentials and MFA outside of Bitwarden, in a secure place that can be accessed by authorized members. One option is using Log in with Passkey (such as a Yubikey) which bypasses the need for entering a username, a password, and even 2FA. Just store the yubikey and its access PIN in a safe, and you have an easy way to regain access. [Learn more about owners here.](https://bitwarden.com/ja-jp/help/managing-users/) This guide covers how to set up a break glass account, when to use one, and the governance practices that keep emergency access ready without weakening day-to-day security. ## Five steps to set up a break glass account Setting up a break glass account involves more than creating a privileged user account. Organizations typically follow five steps: - Create at least two independently managed emergency access accounts with shared organizational ownership. - Provision the accounts outside the primary identity dependency chain. - Secure credentials with controlled storage and documented retrieval procedures. - Configure only the policy exclusions necessary for emergency access. - Monitor, audit, and regularly test the accounts to keep them usable. The sections below walk through provisioning, credential security, governance, monitoring, and testing in detail, starting with when a break glass account should and shouldn't be used. For platform-specific configuration guidance, see the administrative break glass account configuration. ## What should a break glass account be used for? A break glass account is a highly privileged emergency access account reserved for situations where standard administrative accounts cannot be used. Common triggers include identity provider outages, multifactor authentication (MFA) failures, conditional access lockouts, or incident response scenarios that require immediate administrative recovery. Unlike a standard privileged administrator account, a break glass account is not intended for routine operational work. It should stay inactive unless an authorized emergency requires its use. Frequent or unnecessary use weakens confidence in the control, complicates auditing, and raises the risk of unauthorized access. Treating a break glass account as a governed recovery mechanism, rather than a convenience account, preserves both security and operational resilience. ## How do you provision a break glass account securely? Provisioning a break glass account starts by removing unnecessary dependencies that could block access during an emergency. Organizations typically address this by: - Creating cloud-only accounts in Microsoft Entra ID environments that stay available even if federated identity services go down - Establishing accounts within an enterprise identity and access management (IAM) solution that supports centralized administration, role-based access, and auditing - Assigning only the privileged roles required for recovery - Documenting ownership and reviewing configurations after significant identity or policy changes **A single break glass account is a single point of failure.** Most organizations maintain at least two, independently managed, to guarantee emergency access survives a credential issue or personnel change. ### **Break glass procedure: Emergency account configuration checklist** | Emergency accounts | Maintain at least two independently managed accounts | Single point of failure | |------|------|------| | Identity source | Use cloud-only accounts where appropriate | Federated identity outage | | Role assignment | Assign only required emergency administrative roles | Excess standing privilege | | Account ownership | Organizational ownership with documented custodians | Personnel changes or orphaned accounts | | Configuration reviews | Review accounts after major identity or policy changes | Configuration drift | ## How should you secure break glass credentials? Securing break glass credentials matters as much as provisioning accounts. Strong credential generation, secure storage, and dual-control retrieval procedures help authorized administrators recover access without introducing new risk. ### **Vaulting and physical backup procedures** Store break glass credentials in a secure enterprise password manager or a privileged access management (PAM) solution that supports encryption, access controls, and audit logging. Depending on organizational requirements, an encrypted offline copy or sealed physical backup supports the disaster recovery plan. Document retrieval procedures require dual-control approval where appropriate and restrict access to authorized personnel. ### **Passkeys, passwords, and authentication fallback** Modern break glass accounts use phishing-resistant multifactor authentication, such as FIDO2 security keys or [passkeys](https://bitwarden.com/ja-jp/passwordless-passkeys/), whenever organizational requirements permit. Earlier break glass strategies often relied on password-only accounts to guarantee access during authentication outages. Organizations now strengthen security while maintaining documented recovery procedures if hardware authenticators or supporting identity services become unavailable. Bitwarden guidance on two-step login for high-risk accounts and break glass account passkey requirements outlines how to align emergency access with current authentication practices. Review authentication methods periodically to confirm they continue supporting secure emergency access. ## Which conditional access policies should a break glass account bypass? A break glass account should bypass only policies that could prevent administrators from restoring access during an emergency, such as conditional access exclusions for device compliance or trusted location requirements. Review these policies regularly to ensure designated break glass accounts remain usable during a lockout. Every exclusion should be documented, narrowly scoped, and tested as part of ongoing governance. For example, requiring all administrator accounts to authenticate from compliant devices could unintentionally block emergency access if device compliance services go down. A limited exclusion for designated break glass accounts preserves recovery access without weakening security elsewhere. Administrators should validate that policy changes have not inadvertently removed or expanded emergency access. ## How do you monitor and audit emergency accounts and break glass procedures? The final step is confirming that emergency accounts stay ready when needed. Because break glass accounts are rarely used, any activity warrants immediate attention. Ongoing monitoring should include: - Sign-in attempts on break glass accounts - Credential changes - Privilege modifications - Prompt investigation of unexpected activity When emergency credentials must be shared, [controlled access and auditability](https://bitwarden.com/ja-jp/products/access-intelligence/), rather than email or chat, keep the process secure. After every emergency use, complete these follow-up steps: - Document the incident and capture supporting evidence - Confirm retrieval procedures were followed - Rotate credentials - Verify that permissions and recovery procedures remain current ## How often should you test a break glass account? Regular testing should include controlled dry runs, without normalizing routine use of the account. These dry runs validate sign-in, the availability of privileged roles, monitoring and alerting, and credential retrieval procedures. Emergency access vault management workflows should be included in recovery exercises to confirm designated contacts and to verify that approval processes function as expected. Documenting the testing cadence, approvers, and results helps identify configuration drift before an actual emergency. ## How Bitwarden supports emergency access governance Effective emergency access depends on secure credential storage, controlled access, centralized identity management, and ongoing visibility into privileged account activity. Encrypted credential vaults, [SSO integration](https://bitwarden.com/ja-jp/integrations/), enterprise policies, role-based permissions, auditable event logs, and secure sharing reinforce documented recovery procedures and operational readiness. Enterprise break glass accounts differ from [Bitwarden emergency access](https://bitwarden.com/ja-jp/products/personal/). Bitwarden emergency access enables trusted individuals to access another user's vault under predefined conditions, while break glass accounts restore administrative access to enterprise systems during exceptional circumstances. A well-designed break glass account strengthens organizational resilience by enabling administrators to recover access without weakening everyday security controls. [Learn how enterprise security consolidation and access management](https://bitwarden.com/ja-jp/products/enterprise/) simplify privileged credential management and strengthen an emergency access strategy today. ## Frequently asked questions **What is a break glass account?** A break glass account is a highly privileged emergency access account used to restore administrative access when standard authentication methods or identity services are unavailable. It should stay inactive except during approved emergency situations. **How many break glass accounts should an organization have?** Most organizations maintain at least two independently managed break glass accounts. This reduces the risk of losing emergency access because of a single account failure, credential issue, or personnel change. **Should a break glass account use multifactor authentication?** Yes, when possible. Many organizations protect break glass accounts with phishing-resistant multifactor authentication methods, such as FIDO2 security keys or passkeys. Documented fallback authentication procedures confirm emergency access remains available if primary authentication methods are unavailable. **How often should a break glass account be tested?** Organizations should test break glass accounts regularly as part of disaster recovery or identity resilience exercises. Testing should verify authentication, privileged role assignments, monitoring, credential retrieval procedures, and documented recovery workflows without normalizing routine use of the account. **What is the difference between a break glass account and Bitwarden emergency access?** A break glass account restores administrative access to enterprise systems during an identity or authentication emergency. Bitwarden emergency access allows designated trusted contacts to access another user's vault under predefined conditions. Both support business continuity, but they serve different purposes and work best as complementary recovery mechanisms. ## 強力で信頼できるパスワードセキュリティを今すぐ。プランを選択してください。 ## パーソナル ### 始めたばかりですか？ *今すぐ、基本的なパスワード管理を始めましょう。ずっと無料です。* *月あたり* *永久無料* Bitwardenの保管庫を利用する ボールトのアイテムを他の 1 人のユーザーと共有する [今すぐ利用開始](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-free/) --- ### プレミアム **$1.65** *月あたり* *年間 $19.80 ドル請求されます* プレミアム機能をお楽しみください - Bitwarden 認証器 - ファイル添付 - 緊急アクセス - フィッシング対策 - セキュリティレポートなど ボールトのアイテムを他の 1 人のユーザーと共有する [プレミアム アカウントを作成する](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-premium/) --- ### 家族 **$3.99** *月あたり* *最大 6 ユーザー、年間 $47.88 請求されます* あなたの家族のログインを保護してください - 6 つのプレミアムアカウント - 無制限の共有 - 無制限のコレクション - 組織のストレージ ボールトのアイテムを 6 人で共有する [ファミリープランの無料トライアルを開始](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-families-trial/) --- 価格は米ドルで表示され、年間サブスクリプションに基づいています。税別。 ## ビジネス ### チーム *成長するチームのための強固な保護* **$4** *月額/ユーザーごとに毎年請求* **妥協なし** 同僚、部門間、または全社と安全に機密データを共有する - 認証情報を安全に共有する - イベントログでアクティビティを追跡する - 既存のディレクトリを同期する - SCIM によるプロビジョニングの自動化 すべてのユーザーにプレミアム機能を含む [トライアルを開始する](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-teams-trial/) --- ### 企業 *大規模組織向けの高度な機能* **$6** *月額/ユーザーごとに毎年請求* **最大限の保護** エンタープライズ ポリシー、パスワードなしの SSO、アカウントの回復などの高度な機能を利用する。 - きめ細かなアクセス制御 - パスワードレスSSO統合 - 簡単なアカウント回復 - セルフホストの柔軟性 - アクセス・インテリジェンスのリスク修復 [新規］ - すべてのユーザー向けの無料ファミリープラン すべてのユーザー向けのプレミアム機能と補完的なファミリー プランが含まれる [トライアルを開始する](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-enterprise-trial/) --- ### 営業に問い合わせる *数百人または数千人の従業員を持つ企業のために、カスタム見積もりを取得するために営業に連絡し、Bitwarden がどのように役立つかを確認してください：* *per month* - サイバーセキュリティ リスクを軽減する - 生産性を向上させる - シームレスに統合する Bitwarden は、パスワードのセキュリティを貴組織にもたらすために、どんな規模のビジネスにも対応する。 [営業に問い合わせる](https://bitwarden.com/talk-to-sales) --- 価格は米ドルで表示され、年間サブスクリプションに基づいています。税別。